JAIPUR: Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday linked the lynching in Alwar district to the "rising popularity" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi even as opposition leaders alleged that killing of people on suspicion of cow smuggling was becoming a "norm" in BJP-ruled states.

Meghwal’s colleague in the Modi government, Ram Vilas Paswan , demanded that every state government should frame law against mob lynching. "We demand immediate and strictest action by the Rajasthan government in the Alwar case," he added.

Emphasising that law and order was a state subject, Meghwal pointed out that the Centre had sent advisory to state governments to take steps to stop incidents of lynching.

"The Prime Minister himself has spoken out against lynching, but this is not an isolated incident. The more Modiji becomes popular, such incidents will keep occurring in the country. For instance, there was the row over returning state awards before Bihar elections and mob lynching before the UP assembly elections . Similarly, before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls some such issue will be raised, issue of intolerance will be raised," Meghwal said.

Echoing Rajnath Singh, who, while speaking on the no confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, had described the 1984 riots as the biggest "mob lynching incident", Meghwal said, "We condemn mob lynching but this isn’t a single incident. You have to trace this back in history. Why does this happen and who should stop this? What happened with Sikhs in 1984 was the biggest mob lynching in this nation’s history."

Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje took to Twitter to condemn the Ramgarh lynching and promised "strictest possible action" against the guilty. Former CM Ashok Gehlot said the Raje government had failed to check such heinous crimes despite the recent Supreme Court order. "For BJP, human life has no value. Criminals guised as vigilantes are roaming freely without fear of law and order," he said.

Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot alleged that killing of people on suspicion of cow smuggling had become a norm in BJP-ruled states. "The home minister’s words in Parliament about state governments’ responsibility in stopping mob lynching seem even more hollow now," he added.

Describing Modi’s four-year rule as "lynch raj" AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted: "Cow in India has a Fundamental Right to Life under Art 21 & a Muslim can be killed for they have no Fundamental right to life."

