Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of being a "mute spectator" in the face of "continuous attacks" on minorities, especially Muslims, and demanded the strictest action against "anarchist elements" behind such incidents.
His comments come in the wake of two incidents of mob violence in BJP-ruled Haryana and Maharashtra.
On August 27, a Muslim migrant from West Bengal was beaten to death allegedly by cow vigilantes in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri over suspicions that he had eaten beef.
Another person was injured in the attack.
In Maharashtra, an elderly man was abused and beaten up in a train on the suspicion of carrying beef.
He was travelling to Kalyan. Sharing screenshots of the two incidents, videos of which have been doing the rounds on social media, Gandhi said those who have climbed the ladder of power by using hatred as a political weapon are continuously establishing the rule of fear in the country.
"The hateful elements hiding in the form of the mob are openly spreading violence, challenging the rule of law. These miscreants have got a free hand from the BJP government, that is why they have developed the courage to do so," the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi on X. -- PTI