MT Desk: The self-styled cow vigilante groups operating with impunity in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies have systematically been targeting Muslims, Dalits and other marginalised sections of society in their perceived love for the cows and hate for the weaker segments.

The cow vigilantes have also been extorting money from cattle traders and carrying out lynchings of Muslims when they failed to comply with their demands. In most cases, mere suspicion of carrying beef or banned cattle for slaughtering purposes or even partaking meat of the prohibited animals has resulted in unchecked mob violence claiming the lives of innocent Muslims and Dalits.

Symptomatic of the ill-treatment meted out to the persecuted class, a 35-year-old Dalit man was beaten to death by a mob of cow vigilantes in Odisha’s Deogarh district on September 3 after being accused of killing a cow, police said.

The victim, identified as Kishore Chamar from Kaunsidhipa village, worked as a cattle skinner. His coworker, Goutam Nayak, was also attacked but somehow managed to escape the onslaught. He is recouping with serious injuries to several parts of his body.

Deogarh Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Mishra was quoted by Press Trust of India as saying that the mob found the two men cutting up a cow. The victims said the cow had died naturally, and they were only skinning it, but the crowd accused them of killing the animal.

Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident, which took place in Kundeijuri village under Riamal police station.

The latest case comes just two months after another assault in Ganjam district, where two Dalit men, Babula Nayak (54) and Bulu Nayak (42), were attacked and humiliated by cow vigilantes. They were accused of smuggling cattle, forced to crawl, tonsured, and even made to eat grass when they refused to pay Rs 30,000.

Cow vigilantes are notorious for their highhandedness, often taking the law into their own hands and violently attacking individuals suspected of cow slaughter or transportation, mostly targeting Muslims and Dalits. These vigilante groups, often emboldened by political support and societal acceptance, justify their actions under the guise of protecting cows, but their methods frequently involve harassment, assault, and even fatalities, highlighting a disturbing pattern of communal bias and disregard for legal norms.