New Delhi: Taking cue from an open letter written by country's prominent personalities to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of mob lynching, the Congress on Wednesday urged him to handle the issue with due seriousness.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Congress General secretary Harish Rawat said it was a serious issue and the government must take it seriously.
"The mob lynching incidents are on the rise for some now. Congress believes that people indulging in such acts are Modi supporters and they must be contained," he said.
The Congress leader also expressed his displeasure how the slogan of 'Jai Sri Ram' (Praise the Lord Ram) is being used to incite violence in different parts of the country.
"Anti-social elements are misusing the slogan. The atmosphere of
animosity is being created in the country. The government must take it seriously," he added.
Earlier in the day, prominent personalities from different walks of life wrote to the prime minister on the issue. They include Shubha Mudgal, actor Konkona Sen Sharma and filmmakers Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap and Mani Ratnam.
They urged him to make lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities in the country a 'non-bailable' offence.
They also emphasised the devastating cases of lynching reported by the National Crime Records Bureau.
"The lynching of Muslims, Dalits and other minorities must be stopped immediately. We were shocked to learn from the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) reports that there have been no less than 840 instances of atrocities against Dalits in 2016, and a definite decline in the percentage of convictions," the letter read.
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