Mumbai, Jun 26 (PTI) The Maharashtra Congress on Monday slammed the Eknath Shinde government over the killing of a man allegedly by cow vigilantes and asked if the rule of law existed in the state.
A 32-year-old man was lynched allegedly by a group of 'cow vigilantes' on suspicion of transporting beef in Nashik district, some 150 kilometres from here, on Saturday, as per police.
The incident took place at around 5:30pm that day near Gambhirwadi on Ghoti-Sinnar Road in Igatpuri area when two men from Kurla area, who were transporting meat in a car, were attacked by a group of 10-15 persons with steel rods and wooden sticks.
Afan Ansari (32) and his associate Nasir Qureshi (24) were rushed to a hospital in Dhamangaon with serious injuries. Ansari died during treatment. Eleven persons have been arrested in the case.
Maharashtra Congress working president Naseem Khan asked "whether the rule of law exists under the government led by Eknath Shinde" and sought Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased.
The former state minister said the incident had put a question mark on the Shinde government and demanded that a report be sought from Nashik Rural Superintendent of Police Shahji Umap.
Khan also said the state under the Shinde government had witnessed several communal flare-ups recently.
"Riots and clashes have been reported from several places, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Ahmednagar, Kolhapur Shevgaon, Amravati and Nashik," he said.
Incidentally, Saturday's incident was the second allegedly involving 'cow vigilantes' in Nashik in the past one month.
On June 8, three men transporting cattle on a tempo were attacked. The body of one of them, identified as Lukman Ansari (23), was recovered from a gorge in Ghatandevi in Igatpuri area on June 10, as per police.