Lok Sabha elections 2019: Timeline of cow lynching incidents that took place during last five years

While elections are approaching fast, the main key point of debate has been the cow vigilantism. The past five years of the Modi government have seen a spate of mob attacks across India. The elements that fuelled this bloody mix include religious fanaticism (specifically, cow protection), increased penetration of social media and politicians.

Since the Narendra Modi government came into power in 2014, cow lynching incidents have been on the rise. According to indiaspend.com (a data journalism site), 86% of those dead in cow-related violence since 2010 are Muslim and 97 per cent of the attacks took place after 2014. Since 2014 till 2019, 122 incidents of cow-related violence took place in India.

Here’s a time-line of cow lynching incidents that took place in past five years:

August 14, 2014: Delhi — A 50-strong mob thrashed two Muslim men running a meat shop at Dundahera village, accusing them of selling beef.

August 23, 2014: Karnataka — Three men attacked while transporting cattle when a drunk mob attacked them, shouting “Jai Shri Ram”.

October 7, 2014: Gujarat — Five persons, including two policemen, were injured in an incident of police firing and stone pelting in Dabhel village in Navsari district of Gujarat. The incident took place when members of a minority community attacked a police team, which had gone to probe reports of cow-slaughter.

May 23, 2015: Madhya Pradesh — Man kills two friends over transporting cows for slaughter and refused to mend their ways despite being warned.

August 2, 2015: Uttar Pradesh — Three suspected cattle thieves beaten to death, truck set ablaze.

October 9, 2015: Uttar Pradesh — Youth beaten up, police vehicles torched over cow slaughter rumour

October 18, 2015: Jammu and Kashmir — Youth killed in attack over discovery of abandoned cow carcasses.

December 9, 2015: Haryana — One killed as cow vigilante group opens fire at 40 migrant workers.

January 13, 2016: Madhya Pradesh — Muslim couple thrashed for objecting to their bags being searched for beef.

March 14, 2016: Rajasthan — Kashmiri students beaten up over rumour of cooking beef in the hostel.

March 18, 2016: Jharkhand — Two killed by hanging after refusing to give up cattle. Gau rakshak activist among 5 held.

May 9, 2016: West Bengal — Student lynched to death on suspicion of stealing a buffalo.

June 1, 2016: Uttar Pradesh — 11 cows killed and as many injured as mini truck falls into drain.

June 10, 2016: Haryana — Two men forced to eat cow dung for allegedly transporting beef.

June 25, 2016: Haryana — Bajrang Dal convenor and a gau rakshak shot at by alleged beef smugglers.

September 14, 2016: Delhi — Cow vigilantes thrash two men after falsely accusing them of cow slaughter for Eid.

April 1, 2016: Rajasthan — Five men assaulted by gau rakshaks (affiliated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal) in Alwar; 1 dead.

April 21, 2017: Jammu and Kashmir — Gau Rakshaks attack Muslim family in Kashmir, beat nine-year-old girl with iron rods.

June 20, 2017: Uttar Pradesh — Cow vigilantes strip, tie and beat up ‘cattle smugglers’ in Etah.

June 22, 2017: Haryana — Man stabbed to death, three others thrashed over beef-eating rumours.

June 22, 2017: West Bengal — Three lynched in West Bengal over alleged cow theft.

July, 12, 2017: Maharashtra — 40-year-old brutally assaulted for ‘carrying beef’.

August 27, 2017: West Bengal — Two men lynched by villagers, on suspicion of being cattle thieves

July 20, 2018: Rajasthan — Mob in Alwar village kills man on suspicion of cow smuggling; 2 arrested.

August 29, 2018: Uttar Pradesh — Muslim youth lynched on suspicion of stealing buffalo.

August 30, 2018: Uttar Pradesh — 70-year-old man tonsured, brutally thrashed by ‘cow vigilantes’ for ‘abandoning cow.

November 17, 2018: Gujarat — Cow vigilantes in Gujarat stop truck carrying buffalo calves, stab one person.

December 3, 2018: Uttar Pradesh — Violence in Bulandshahr over cow slaughter, two killed.

December 29, 2018: Bihar — Man, 55, Beaten To Death By Mob Over Alleged Cattle Theft In Bihar’s Araria.

January 19, 2019: Haryana — Man Transporting Buffalo Is Tied To Pole, Beaten By Mob, Then Chained By Police.

January 31, 2019: Karnataka — Bajrang Dal Men Attack Elderly Muslim Women Over Beef.

(Data Source: indiaspend.com)