Senior Advocate Indira Jaising today made some scathing submissions in the Supreme Court on the issue of cow vigilantism..Appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, Jaising told a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar that the issue is not just one of law and order, and that the Centre cannot wash its hands of the matter. She submitted,.“There have been 66 instances of lynching; this is happening all over the country. Centre has stated that it does not support such acts. But that is not enough.”.She then proceeded to seek a direction to the Centre to act under Article 256 of the Constitution and issue directions to all States to tackle the menace..Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for four States, responded by saying that law will take its own course and FIRs have been registered. Jaising, however, retorted,.“I am not here for FIR. My intent is prevention. We don’t want to come to the court after people are dead, we want to prevent them from dying.”.Chief Justice Dipak Misra responded to Jaising’s submissions by stating,.“There has to be some kind of mechanism so that people don’t take law into their own hands. This has to stop. Planned action is required so that this does not grow”..Jaising went on to submit that Article 256 and co-operative federalism requires the Centre to issue directions to States. She said,.“It is an appropriate case for exercise of Article 256. Let the Centre issue directions to all States and let us see how the States respond.”.Mehta, however, objected, stating that he needs time to take instructions..He also submitted on behalf of four States – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat – that nodal officers will be appointed in all districts of the four States to arrest cow vigilantism..The Court recorded the same in its order and directed all the other respondent States to implement the same. It also directed the Centre to respond on the prayer made by Jaising regarding Article 256..Interestingly, when Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves attempted to cite the list of BJP leaders who had advocated violence against those consuming beef or slaughtering cattle, ASG Mehta strongly objected stating that Gonsalves is trying to politicise the matter..“I strongly object. This is to make headlines and gain publicity and I strongly object”, said Mehta..The Bench also expressed its disinclination to go into the same..The case will now be heard on September 22..Read the order below.
Senior Advocate Indira Jaising today made some scathing submissions in the Supreme Court on the issue of cow vigilantism..Appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, Jaising told a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar that the issue is not just one of law and order, and that the Centre cannot wash its hands of the matter. She submitted,.“There have been 66 instances of lynching; this is happening all over the country. Centre has stated that it does not support such acts. But that is not enough.”.She then proceeded to seek a direction to the Centre to act under Article 256 of the Constitution and issue directions to all States to tackle the menace..Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for four States, responded by saying that law will take its own course and FIRs have been registered. Jaising, however, retorted,.“I am not here for FIR. My intent is prevention. We don’t want to come to the court after people are dead, we want to prevent them from dying.”.Chief Justice Dipak Misra responded to Jaising’s submissions by stating,.“There has to be some kind of mechanism so that people don’t take law into their own hands. This has to stop. Planned action is required so that this does not grow”..Jaising went on to submit that Article 256 and co-operative federalism requires the Centre to issue directions to States. She said,.“It is an appropriate case for exercise of Article 256. Let the Centre issue directions to all States and let us see how the States respond.”.Mehta, however, objected, stating that he needs time to take instructions..He also submitted on behalf of four States – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat – that nodal officers will be appointed in all districts of the four States to arrest cow vigilantism..The Court recorded the same in its order and directed all the other respondent States to implement the same. It also directed the Centre to respond on the prayer made by Jaising regarding Article 256..Interestingly, when Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves attempted to cite the list of BJP leaders who had advocated violence against those consuming beef or slaughtering cattle, ASG Mehta strongly objected stating that Gonsalves is trying to politicise the matter..“I strongly object. This is to make headlines and gain publicity and I strongly object”, said Mehta..The Bench also expressed its disinclination to go into the same..The case will now be heard on September 22..Read the order below.
