Indian govt sets up panel to suggest laws against lynching, mob violence

Expressing concerns over the growing number of mob violence incidents in the country, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said the government has constituted a four-member committee, headed by Union Home Secretary, to suggest laws against lynching and mob violence.

The committee, chaired by home secretary Rajiv Gauba, will submit its recommendations in four weeks.

The latest move comes days after the Supreme Court asked Parliament to come up with a special law to deter such crimes, saying “the horrendous acts of mobocracy cannot be permitted to inundate the law of the land”. The apex court said the “recurrent pattern of violence “cannot be allowed to become the new normal”.

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A group of minister headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also been constituted to make recommendations for legislation on lynching. The group of ministers will submit their recommendations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Government is concerned at the incidents of violence by mobs in some parts of the country. Government has already condemned such incidents and has made its stand clear in Parliament that it is committed to upholding the rule of law and adopting effective measures to curb such incidents,” the MHA said in a press release.

It stated that the government respects the recent directions of SC on the issue of mob violence, and has issued an advisory to state governments urging them to take effective measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching and to take stringent action as per law.

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The state governments have been advised to implement the directions issued in the matter by the Supreme Court on July 17, the MHA said.

The high level committee chaired by the Union Home Secretary will have Secretary, Department of Justice, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Secretary, Legislative Department and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment as members.

The GoM headed by the Home Minister will have Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot and will submit their recommendations to the Prime Minister.

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Biola Lawal