New Delhi: Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said the alleged lynching of a man in Rajasthan by cow vigilantes should not be viewed from a religious point of view as "criminals are just criminals".
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Naqvi said a FIR has been registered against six persons in Alwar case.
On Thursday, he had denied the lynching of a man transporting cows in Rajasthan by vigilantes, but today he clarified that he was referring to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh where no such incident had taken place.
The Opposition raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha amid noisy scenes for the second day in a row, seeking an apology from Naqvi for misleading the House on Thursday.
Naqvi assured the House that Home Minister Rajnath Singh was likely to make a statement over the incident on Monday.
Terming the issue as "sensitive", he said it required to be handled carefully and criminals should not be looked from the prism of religion, "otherwise a wrong message will go out, disturbing peace and harmony”.
"A criminal, a murderer, a hooligan should not be looked at as a Hindu or a Muslim. A criminal is a criminal," Naqvi told the House.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded Naqvi's apology for "misleading the House" and also sought action against the self-styled "gau rakshaks" who were harassing and killing people in the name of cow protection.
Congress MPs gathered near the Chairman's podium, demanding adjournment. However, Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, presiding the proceedings, rejected the demand.
The lynching incident occurred on Saturday when a group of self-styled cow vigilantes allegedly attacked dairy farmer Pehlu Khan in Behror area of Alwar.
Khan was travelling in a truck with two cows and two calves. The attackers accused Khan of illegally smuggling cows for slaughter. However, his family said he had bought the animals for his small dairy business.
(With Agency inputs)
