I urge Muslims of Rajasthan to stop supporting Congress: Owaisi

Hyderabad: A day after Pehlu Khan, who was lynched to death in 2017, was charge-sheeted for smuggling cattle, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday urged Muslims in Rajasthan to stop supporting Congress, alleging that the party has betrayed them.

"When Pehlu Khan was attacked, Congress condemned it. It is a condemnable act by the Ashok Gehlot government. I urge the Muslims of Rajasthan to stop supporting the Congress, which has always betrayed them," said Owaisi.

Rajasthan Police had filed a charge sheet for cow smuggling against Khan, who was allegedly lynched in 2017 by a mob of cow vigilantes in Alwar for allegedly transporting cattle, and his two sons.

Equating Congress with BJP, AIMIM chief said: "Whenever they (Congress) come to power, they become a replica of the BJP. When they are in opposition, they shed crocodile tears."

The police charge-sheeted Khan and his sons -- Irsad (25) and Arif (22) -- under various sections of Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995.

The charge sheet against Khan was prepared on December 30 last year, 13 days after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's government came to power in Rajasthan.

Section 5 of the RBA Act pertains to the prohibition of the export of bovine animals for the purpose of slaughter, while Section 6 states that the transporter is also an abettor and is liable for the same punishment as the person committing the offence.

Section 8 relates to the penalty imposed for such offences, while Section 9 mentions punishment for causing hurt to a bovine animal.

There were two FIRs registered in the case. One was against the mob for beating Khan to death and second against him and his family for transporting cattle (cow) illegally out of the state.

In 2018, the previous BJP government in the state had filed a similar charge sheet against two associates of Khan, who were also attacked by the mob.

The police had earlier given a clean chit to the six people accused of lynching Khan. The decision was based on the statements of the staff of a cow shelter and mobile phone records.

55-year-old Khan, a native of Nuh in Haryana and a dairy farmer, was allegedly beaten up by self-styled cow vigilantes near Behror in Rajasthan on Delhi-Alwar highway on April 1, accusing him of smuggling cattle.

He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on April 3.