Don't pay heed to rumours, UP CM's advice to people after man killed for allegedly storing beef

Expressing concern over the murder of 50-year-old man rumoured to have stored beef at his home in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav advised people to be cautious about reports that they hear. "Rumours have no truth but a lot is lost because of them. There are people who talk about pink revolution, now they are in power, why don't they stop it," he said while hitting at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government.

Mocking the practice of people attacking others for killing animals to eat, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan said, "Tripura, Meghalaya are the areas where animals are killed openly. Most five star hotels sell cow meat openly. It is on their menu. Strict action should be taken against those people."

All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi also visited Dadri to meet the family of the murder victim and express solidarity. Calling the incident a religious murder, Owaisi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence saying he could have at least tweeted about the case.

"It was not an accident, it was a pre-planned murder. Dragging and killing someone is a murder not an accident," he said.

He had also attacked the Samajwadi Party government on Thursday for being a "mute spectator" to the incident. "Is our democracy going to become a banana republic? Can they kill a person? Then why is there law or court or police?" Owaisi questioned.

Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh. "This is completely wrong. It is regrettable that the Samajwadi Party government there is highly incompetent and it became a mute spectator (to the incident) and kept its eyes closed," the Hyderabad MP said.

He alleged that the "Sangh Parivar" is trying to convert India into a "Hindu Nation". "A person whose son works with Air Force has been killed. What message is being sent out to the people through such acts?" Owaisi asked.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari had on Thursday issued a strong statement against communal violence saying that people of all faiths have a right to life and Constitution is one book that belongs to and should be respected by all citizens.

A 50-year-old man was beaten to death and his son seriously injured by a mob which barged into their house in Dadri, UP on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef.