'Cow slaughter bigger crime than terrorism', says BJP MLA

"If cows are killed, people will be angry and cow smugglers will face consequences. Sentiments of crores of Hindus get hurt, when a cow is killed," he said.

Image: ANI

New Delhi: BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja on Monday triggered fresh controversy by his statement over cow-slaughter. An MLA from Ramgarh in Rajasthan, Ahuja said that cow slaughtering is a bigger crime than terrorism and that it is natural for people to get outraged when a cow is slaughtered. Over the incidents of lynching He said: “If cows are killed, people will be angry and cow smugglers will face consequences." He said "sentiments of crores of Hindus get hurt, when a cow is killed." "Cow slaughtering is a bigger crime than terrorism. Terrorists kill two to three people, but when a cow is killed, sentiments of crores of Hindus get hurt," Ahuja said.

Cow slaughtering is a bigger crime than terrorism. Terrorists kill 2-3 people, but when a cow is killed, sentiments of crores of Hindus are hurt. If cows are killed, people will be angry & cow smugglers will face consequences: BJP MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja (30.07.18) pic.twitter.com/Va4eBZvsE9

— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2018

The BJP MLA's statement comes on the backdrop of recent mob lynching incident in Rajasthan's Alwar district where a Muslim man named Rakbar Khan was beaten to death on the suspicion of cow smuggling. The incidents of mob lynching have been on a rise in the country. As per data compiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 45 persons were killed in 40 cases of mob lynching across nine states between 2014 and 3 March, 2018. The Supreme Court on July 17 asked the Centre to enact a law to deal with incidents of lynching and take action on mob violence. (with ANI inputs)