The RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, in its cover story, has said that the killing of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri over rumours of storing and consumption of beef could not have been “without reason” and even the “vedas mandate killing of those who slaughter cows”.

An article in RSS organ said, “The Vedas order killing of anyone who slaughters the cow. Cow slaughter is a big issue for the Hindu community. For many of us it’s a question of life and death.”

Questions writers’ protest

The article also questioned the writers who were returning their awards as a protest against the lynching incident.

“You [the writers] did not see the cow slaughter by Iqlakh. You didn’t see the fact that none of the media reports on Dadri mentioned any personal enmity of anyone with Iqlakh. Dadri village has never even seen any communal tension. One could have believed Iqlakh’s [Akhlaq] death to be without reason but then we have the Newton’s law of every action inviting an equal and opposite reaction.”

The article further asks the writers why they “fail to question the social mindset which encouraged Mohammad Iqlakh [Akhlaq] to commit a crime”.

The article has also called for a thorough probe into the credentials of writers returning the Sahitya Akademi and other awards, and has accused their “anguish of being laced with clear political bias”.

'Cow killers from cow protectors'

Muslims were Hindus some generations back, the article said. “Who has taught converted Indians to spit on their own culture and values? After all, all Indian Muslims, including Iqlakh [Akhlaq], were Hindus until few generations ago…How did these converts become as hateful as to turn cow killers from cow protectors?”

While acknowledging that there is a law of land and no one should have taken the law into their hands in Dadri, the article says, “Of course India has laws and no one has the right to take laws into their hands but what should one say about those people and their leaders who, while living among 80 per cent Hindus, have no concerns for the majority sentiment.”

'These are not editorial views'

As the RSS organ’s justification of Dadri killing triggered a political storm, Panchjanya editor Hitesh Shankar distanced himself from the piece saying the views expressed in the article are personal.

“We don’t support any violent incident. The writer has expressed his independent views. These are not editorial views. I don’t recollect any write up justifying Iqlakh’s killing.The Dadri incident should be probed,” Mr. Shankar said.