Tamil Nadu
The Centre's recent ban on cattle trade has taken a hit on its own initiative of expanding parcel traffic by commencing transportation of Livestock in parcel vans. This was announced by the Southern Railway on May 24.
Irrespective of having all legal documents, which met the pre-requisite mandate for Centre's regulations on legal trade, 25 vigilantes barged into the station, beat the men and tied them to a pole. The documents stated that the livestock was healthy and that it was being supplied by a private farm to the animal husbandry department.
The miscreants claimed to be members of the Bajrang Dal, which is an extremist Hindu organisation that forms a part of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the member of the RSS family.
[Read: Centre bans sale, slaughter of cows across India]
It is also said that nobody from the security establishment stopped the hooligans even as they proudly bragged of their deed in front of the local media. Help came in the form of Railway Police Force Personnel, that too after an hour, who came and rescued the workers. Later in the day, the station superintended lodged a complaint with the GRP, stating that 25 unknown persons attacked two dairy farm workers. Till now, two Bajrang Dal activists have been arrested till now and the government railway police said that more arrests are likely to take place in this regard soon.
[Read: Six times moral vigilantes shocked and shamed 'progressive' Kerala ]
First Ever Transportation of 20 Cows in parcel vans by SR from Salem to Guwahati on 23/05 with earnings of Rs. 2.65 lakh. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/KukCUuuERK
— CCM/SR (@ccmsrly) May 24, 2017Southern Railway's unique initiative to expand parcel traffic by commencing transportation of Live stock in Parcel Vans. (1/2). pic.twitter.com/vkqKsbCqJd
— CCM/SR (@ccmsrly) May 24, 2017