Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Sunday voiced his apprehension over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Panchjanya's defence of the Dadri lynching incident and said that it was an attempt to polarise people on the cow issue.
Dikshit said something quoted years ago in the Veda has no relevance now.
"If it is ever quoted, it has been said in a particular context. And to quote anything out of context makes no sense. In any case, something that has been quoted years ago has no relevance today. In India, cow slaughter is banned in almost all states," Dikshit told ANI.
The RSS mouthpiece in its latest edition has criticised the writers, who have returned their awards in the wake of the incident in Dadri where a man was lynched over rumours of storing beef at his residence.
It alleges that madrasas and the Muslim leadership teach Indian Muslims to hate the country's traditions. "Akhlaq (the Dadri victim) perhaps slaughtered a cow under the influence of such bad deeds," it states.
Questioning the silence of writers, it asks them why they have been quiet on this issue. "Vedas order killing of the sinner who kills a cow. It is a matter of life and death for many of us)," states the article.