{"id":3447,"date":"2023-09-12T21:52:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T21:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/indian-police-arrest-cow-vigilante-after-religious-riots-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-09-12T21:52:09","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T21:52:09","slug":"indian-police-arrest-cow-vigilante-after-religious-riots-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/indian-police-arrest-cow-vigilante-after-religious-riots-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian police arrest cow vigilante after religious riots | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nNEW DELHI:
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Indian police arrested on Tuesday the leader of a vigilante group devoted to protecting cows who had been accused of inciting deadly religious riots near New Delhi in July.<\/p>\n

Monu Manesar leads a chapter of the radical Hindu right-wing group Bajrang Dal and is a suspect in the mob lynching in February of two Muslim men accused of cow smuggling.<\/p>\n

Cows are considered sacred by Hindus and their slaughter is illegal in many Indian states.<\/p>\n

Manesar remained free and continued to post inflammatory anti-Muslim content regularly on Facebook and Instagram for months after authorities linked him to the murders.<\/p>\n

He announced in July plans to attend a Hindu procession in Nuh, a largely Muslim district near the capital.<\/p>\n

At least six people were killed and dozens more injured in the resulting unrest, which continued for days and spilled over to Delhi’s outskirts.<\/p>\n

Nuh district police officer Shubhjeet Singh confirmed Manesar’s arrest on charges of spreading hateful content on social media.<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0Religious clashes force Muslims to flee Indian business hub<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Singh said Manesar would be handed over to police in Rajasthan state, where charges have been registered against him over the February double-murder.<\/p>\n

Manesar ultimately did not attend the July procession in Nuh, which saw cars set alight and stones hurled at participants.<\/p>\n

The violence soon spread to nearby Gurugram, a key business centre and satellite of Delhi where Nokia, Samsung and other multinationals have their Indian headquarters.<\/p>\n

In one neighbourhood, a mob of around 200 people armed with sticks and stones looted several Muslim-owned meat shops and set fire to a restaurant while chanting Hindu religious slogans.<\/p>\n

Manesar regularly posted videos celebrating attacks on Muslims accused of transporting or killing cows.<\/p>\n

India has seen numerous outbreaks of sectarian violence between majority Hindus and its 200-million-strong Muslim minority since Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014.<\/p>\n

Critics have accused his government of turning a blind eye to vigilante campaigns against Muslims in the name of cow protection and the lynching of men accused of involvement in cattle slaughter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n