Relatives of Akbar Khan grieve after he died of injuries sustained due to being beaten up by alleged cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Incidents of lynching will not stop till the time cow gets the status of “Rashtra Mata”, a BJP MLA from Telangana has said, amid the outrage over the killing of a Muslim man over suspicion of being a cow smuggler in Rajasthan’s Alwar.

T Raja Singh Lodh, BJP MLA of Goshamahal in Hyderabad, said in a video message on a social networking website on Sunday that he does not want “khoon-kharaba” (bloodletting) on the issue, but if it has to stop, cow must be declared “Mother of the Nation”.

In the 7-minute clip, the lawmmaker also urged MPs to make such a demand in Parliament. “Till cow is not accorded the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’, I feel the war for ‘gau raksha’ (cow protection) will not stop even if ‘gau rakshaks’ (cow protectors) are put into jails or bullets are fired at them,” Singh said.

He also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support for the demand. “Till the time a ministry of cow protection is created in every state and stringent laws are enacted for cow protection, I feel such killings will not stop... this is my feeling and I am telling the fact,” Singh, known for making controversial remarks, said.

Maintaining that he never supported the killing or beating up of people by “gau rakshaks”, Singh, however, deplored “nobody discusses protection of cows and how to stop such violence”.

“Recently, a man named Rakbar alias Akbar Khan, a cow smuggler was killed. The media reported some cases of cow smuggling were pending against him,” he said, claiming that many cow protection activists were killed by cattle smugglers but such incidents are ignored by the media.

However, when a cow smuggler is killed, the media rakes up the issue, which is also raised in Parliament, he said.

Singh also took to Twitter where he claimed a Hindu man was lynched in Rajasthan the same day as Khan over his love affair with a Muslim girl.

“The same day when Rakbar Khan was allegedly lynched, Kheta Ram Bheel, a Dalit, was also lynched in Rajasthan by the Muslim family of the girl he loved. BUT MEDIA & other secular parties are not interested as all the accused are from peaceful community which doesn’t suit their agenda,” he tweeted.

Rakbar and his friend Aslam were accosted by alleged cow vigilantes in Alwar’s Ramgarh on Saturday. Aslam managed to flee, but Rakbar was brutally assaulted. He later died from injuries received during the attack.

The Goshamahal MLA has often found himself on the wrong side of the law because of his remarks. He recently said the holy Quran was responsible for the spread of terrorism and those hosting Iftaar parties were begging for Muslim votes.