Bhubaneswar: A Muslim couple in Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, was forced to kneel and chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Jai Gau Mata’ after a group of self-proclaimed cow vigilantes alleged they were carrying beef.
Although the incident took place on August 19, its video surfaced on social media on August 23. The couple was harassed and humiliated by the gau rakshaks, who accused them of carrying beef.
The vigilantes forced the couple to kneel, hold their ears, and chant Jai Shri Ram while the group raised ‘Gau Mata’ slogans in police presence.
“Bol Jai Shri Ram, bol Jai Gau Mata (Say Jai Shri Ram and Jai Gau Mata),” a cow vigilante was heard ordering the couple. “A mistake has been made, I swear by your Allah.”
The couple complied and repeated the religious slogans while the vigilantes filmed them on their knees. With the cow vigilantes raising slogans and even locals joining them, several police personnel arrived at the site to bring the situation under control.
Cow slaughter has been restricted in the state since the enactment of the Odisha Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960. However, the regulations have been further tightened after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government announced plans to overhaul the 1960 framework with a more stringent law.
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