The incident in Ghatkesar city has sparked outrage across social and political circles
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – Cow vigilantes associated with the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, allegedly attacked a cattle trader and his driver in Ghatkesar city, a satellite town of Hyderabad in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana, on Wednesday.
Media reports reaching here on Thursday said cattle trader Amir Qureshi and his driver were assaulted by the group led by Pavan Reddy, BJYM’s Medchal Rural district president.
The incident has sparked outrage across social and political circles, raising concerns about the growing menace of cow vigilantism in the country.
The attack occurred at approximately 11 pm on January 1 when Qureshi, who had purchased six buffaloes at Bibi Bazaar in Nalgonda Market, was shifting them to the city in a DCM vehicle.
As they approached the Ghatkesar traffic signal, the vehicle was intercepted by a group led by Pavan Reddy and his associates. The vigilantes reportedly pulled Qureshi and the driver out of the vehicle and assaulted them.
According to eyewitness accounts, the group accused Qureshi of illegal cow slaughter without any substantial evidence. The situation quickly escalated as the mob assaulted him physically, leaving him with severe injuries.
Police reached the spot upon information and shifted the injured to Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad.
Qureshi sustained multiple injuries but is currently in stable condition, hospital officials were quoted by media reports as saying.
All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLC Mirza Rahmath Baig visited the Ghatkesar police station to meet with senior police officials and demand strict action against the attackers. Baig later visited Osmania General Hospital to check on the injured trader and review his condition.
The Ghatkesar police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the attack. Further details are awaited as authorities continue their probe.
The incident highlights the growing challenges posed by cow vigilante groups. Critics argue that such attacks erode communal harmony and undermine the rule of law. Calls for stricter enforcement of laws against mob violence and enhanced protection for cattle traders have gained renewed urgency.
As the investigation unfolds, the incident will likely reignite debates about the intersection of politics, religion, and vigilantism in India.
