UP-police's idea to curb cow-related violence involves 'sabhas' and pledges
What's the story
Earlier this month, violence in Bulandshahr sparked after alleged cow-slaughter snowballed into a controversy, and now Uttar Pradesh police have come up with a way to put that in check.
Only instead of ensuring laws are followed and guilty brought to justice, the police officers are holding sabhas (gatherings) in villages and asking residents to pledge they won't kill cows.
Here's all about it.
Sabhas
Cop tells villagers to ostracize those who kill cows
A video has surfaced on social media which shows SHO Prem Chand Sharma of Meerut's Kithore police station addressing a gathering and making villagers pledge against cow slaughter.
The villagers were told to alert officials about incidents of cow-slaughter and ostracize the ones who are guilty of it.
They followed every word Sharma said who ended the pledge with 'Jai Hind, Jai Bharat'.
The idea
What police have to say about the sabhas
While this practice is bizarre to say the least, UP police said it was meant to create awareness.
SSP Meerut Prabhakar Chaudhary said police was asked to create awareness against cow-slaughter which is not only a crime but leads to unrest too.
"The police teams have been coming up with new initiatives and the pledge campaign is part of it," he told TOI.
Quote
Top cop believes this will curb incidents in villages
"The SHOs of police stations are being sent to villages for this cause. Cow slaughtering is a heinous crime and by organizing meetings with villagers such incidents can be curbed," said SP Meerut Rajesh Kumar.
Twitter Post
A video of one such sabha
Post Bulandshahar violence, UP police is holding sabhas in villages and making people pledge against cow slaughter. The pledge aims at advising people to not only inform the police about cow slaughter in their area but also ostracize people involved in such activities. pic.twitter.com/XFLmVHYXgA
— Piyush Rai (@PiyushRaiTOI) December 13, 2018
Ire
SP spokesperson says police isn't interested in catching culprits
The police received flak over this idea. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi said cow slaughter was a sin but the campaign shows police's laxity.
"Police are not interested in arresting main culprits behind the Bulandshahr violence but here in case of a pledge, cops seem more enthusiastic," he said.
However, BJP spokesperson said those who promoted cow slaughter won't like such campaigns.