In a video clip that went viral Sunday, a BJP MLA, accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar violence case, was seen allegedly threatening to harm persons found killing cows or couldn’t chant “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. The video showed Khatauli MLA Vikram Saini, at a rally in Muzaffarnagar Saturday. “I had promised I will break the hands and legs of those who hesitate in chanting VandeMataram, those who feel pain in saying Bharat mata ki jai and also those who do not consider cows their mother and kill them,” he is heard saying.
Saini’s alleged comments come at a time when CM Yogi Adityanath warned his supporters to stay away from excesses after BJP’s victory in the state.
Saini, however, told The Indian Express that an “unnecessary controversy” was being whipped up over his alleged statements.
“Mere kehne ka matlab tha ki jo bhi gau hatya karega use police ke hawale karenge. Maine bus gaaon ki bhasha me kaha to logo ne ulta matlab nikala (What I meant was that those who are found slaughtering cows will be handed over to the police. I was just speaking in the local dialect but people took it the other way),” he said. Over 60 people were killed in the 2013 violence. State minister Suresh Rana, who was being felicitated at the event where Saini was speaking, is also an accused in the case.
On Saturday, the CM had said, “Josh mein aake hosh nahi khona chahiye (In your enthusiasm, don’t lose your sensibilities).”
Three persons have been arrested for illegal slaughter and over 20 kg of meat was seized from their house at Madhavi village in Shamli, police said on Sunday. Police raided the house Saturday evening and seized around 26 kg of suspected beefThree arrested for ‘illegal slaughter’
