There seems to be no end to the spate of cow related violence. On Thursday, two men were lynched in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district for allegedly ferrying two stolen cows in a vehicle with no number plate, The Indian Express reported.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Coochbehar Santosh Nimbalkar said that 13 people had been arrested so far, adding that rumours of cows being stolen had been rife in the area off late. The police said that Mathabhanga residents Prakash Das (32) and Bablu Milan (37) were stopped by around 20 locals at 5:30 am after they noticed the animals in their pick-up van. “They pulled them out and beat them with sticks and stones before torching the vehicle. The mob dispersed when police reached the spot,” said an officer from Kotwali police station. The men were rushed to Coochbehar Government Medical College and Hospital, where they succumbed to injuries. Police said they are yet to ascertain whether the cows were actually stolen.

The State government is yet to respond to the incident. The West Bengal Assembly had recently passed the West Bengal (Prevention of Lynching) Bill, 2019, but it is yet to be passed by the Governor.

Within a week of this, there have been 3 incidents of mob violence – in Asansol, Coochbehar and North Dinajpur, all related to child lifting.

Hindu vs Muslim

Twitter warriors and some publications are of course making the heinous incident out to be a case of communal conflict.

West Bengal: Two men, Bablu Milan and Prakash Das, lynched in Coochbehar over cattle smuggling suspicions

The “liberals” will not outrage about this because it ruins their narrative of “anti-Muslim” hate. It’s about their livelihood. https://t.co/sdAoUnbeJd

— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) November 22, 2019

BJP’s Subramanyam Swamy has also called out Mamata Banerjee for not taking strict action against those accused in lynching stating that if her government couldn’t do it, the Centre would enforce the law.

If the @MamataOfficial Govt doesn't prosecute the culprits with the lynching law, the Centre will enforce the law: @Swamy39 tells TIMES NOW over the lynching incident in West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/KKsYcRSOw2

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 22, 2019

Tweeple have started questioning the coverage of the incident asking whether lynching incidents are only reported from BJP ruled states and the non-BJP ones are exempt from it.

My first reaction on reading this report was --thank god those lynched were Hindus & it happened in #JehadiMamta's Bengal. Otherwise India/Hindus would have been flagellated globally for another 100 years.
#BreakUpIndiaGang https://t.co/jaSWVOFSS6

— MadhuPurnima Kishwar (@madhukishwar) November 22, 2019

Currently, there are total of three anti-lynching bills – Rajasthan, Manipur and West Bengal that are gathering dust on the President’s table. In 2018, the Supreme Court (SC) recommended to enact a law against the incidents of mob lynching. It gave an 11 point prescription that included measures like identifying sensitive areas where mob-lynching has taken place, broadcast on radio and TV the consequences of participating in mob violence, ensuring the dissemination of irresponsible messages on social media platforms and ensure the safety of family members.

There has been no further information on the deaths of Das and Milan. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) too has resorted to an allegedcover up of the inadequacies of the government by withholding data on lynchings for the past two years. This is just another indicator that even with widespread reporting, the conviction rates in such incidents have remained to be low thus encouraging violent mobs to act on mere suspicion and taking the law in their own hands.

Related:

Kalna Lynching case: 12 get life term

Three State Anti-Lynching Bills gather dust on President Kovind’s table

No data on lynchings, NCRB withholds figures