Gun wielding cow vigilantes walking free in Haryana?

Cow Vigilantes
Image Courtesy:Twitter

“Get away, we will shoot,” screams an armed man as a mob drags a man through the streets of a village towards a waiting white SUV. “Take him to the [police] chowki,” screams another, warning the women coming forward to step away. “We caught him red handed,” claims another, accusing the man in their ‘”custody” of slaughtering cows. The cow vigilantes brandishing guns abducted a man, verbally abused women, and fired in the air in broad daylight, in Shekhpur Village, Mewat, Haryana!

The video of the crime, where the threats to shoot can clearly be heard, were uploaded on the YouTube channel of the group “GAU RAKSHA DAL PATAUDI”. Though it has a mere 41 subscribers, this video has nearly 800 views. There are more such videos of assault, threat, which are on the channel, including those that show these goons wielding guns, in the face of the locals, who then hastily move to safety. These are the videos uploaded this week, months after its last ones. These seem to be intended to announce that the cow vigilante mobs of Mewat, Haryana are back and armed. Viewer discretion advised as there is verbal abuse, and threat shown in the video:

Another short video on the same Youtube channel is purportedly of the fun wielding “Rambhakt Gopal” better known as the shooter who fired at a students’ protest against the citizenship law near Jamia Millia University in 2020. Gopal also posted provocative videos on his Instagram account where a mobster is waving the barrel of a gun at children. The same while SUV is seen in the clip where the armed mob is forcefully dragging a man away. The instagram account seems to have been deactivated after massive public outrage followed.

Jamia shooter out on bail Rambhakt Gopal uploaded this video on his instagram with caption “Taking away the cow smuggler”. Men with pistols can be seen taking away a man. They have full freedom to violate law everyday and still remain free.
Insta link: https://t.co/2ydAyjWY6Z pic.twitter.com/wWHImXQbFF
— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) April 24, 2022

In another video uploaded by Rambhakt Gopal on his instagram, gun is being pointed at people. On the video it’s written– Gau Raksha Dal, Mewat road, Haryana.
Insta link: https://t.co/2AYOfDhB2m pic.twitter.com/KjqaqA8j6U
— Kaushik Raj (@kaushikrj6) April 24, 2022

Social media users tracked the vehicle registration number down, and discovered that it was registered in the name of “Development & Panchayat Office” registered Head RTO office in Chandigarh, Haryana.

This appears to be a government vehicle registered in the name of Development & Panchayat Office directly from Head RTO office in Chandigarh of Haryana.
In case @police_haryana would ever like to take action, this might be helpful. https://t.co/WbIqg2BH8f pic.twitter.com/edSZpxnyuV
— Rohit Shukla (@IRohit_Shukla) April 24, 2022

@DGPHaryana how does this image represent the law and order in the state . Are vigilante authorised to do this , has the police out sourced to goons ? You need to send a strong message across that this is criminal https://t.co/KVYtXFtj6j
— iamOnir (@IamOnir) April 27, 2022

Cow protection is also being used as an excuse by the Hindutva right wing to arm the masses with swords, trishuls, and now it appears, guns. In December 2021, Sadhvi Saraswati, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member, told followers to “carry swords to protect cows”. Saraswati had told Hindus to “buy swords and keep them at home to protect cows.” Saraswati was speaking at the Hindu Sangama programme organised by the VHP and Bajrang Dal at the Karkala Gandhi Maidan. She claimed “slaughterers have no right to live in this country. Cows are being stolen from the cowsheds of Hindus showing arms. We all should carry swords to save the Gau Matha.”