Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by asserting that lynching was “unheard of” before 2014.
“Before 2014, the word ‘lynching’ was practically unheard of. # ThankYouModiJi,” Mr. Gandhi said on twitter.
The Congress leader’s tweet, however, comes just days after two incidents of lynching in party-ruled Punjab over allegations of attempted desecration of the holy Guru Granth Sahib at the Golden Temple on December 18 and, a day later, at another Gurudwara in Kapurthala.
Neither Mr. Gandhi nor any of the top party leaders have commented on the incidents that left two people dead within 24 hours.
Addressing a rally at Malerkotla on Sunday, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had asked for public execution of those who are guilty of desecrating religious texts.
“Conspiracy going on to disrupt Punjab’s peace. Wherever sacrilege takes place, be it of Koran Sharif or Bhagavad Gita or Guru Granth Sahib, they [guilty] should be hanged in public and given biggest constitutional punishment,” Mr. Sidhu had said.
Adopting a cautious approach, most leaders of the All India Congress Committee stayed away from commenting.
“Sacrilege is horrendous but lynching in a civilised country is no less horrendous. I request the authorities to take strict action against all who took law into their own hand & make an example out of them,” AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had tweeted on Sunday.
