A two-member delegation of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) visited Mewat in Haryana to gather first-hand information on the murder of a couple and gang rape of two Muslim girls by alleged cow vigilantes in a village.
The delegation, comprising NCM chairman Naseem Ahmad and member Praveen Davar, yesterday visited Dingerheri village where the crime was allegedly committed by cow vigilantes on August 25.
The Commission is likely to come up with its report on the incidents next week.
During its two-hour visit, the delegation met the victims' family and villagers to take their views and also discussed the incident with District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Davar said.
"We are currently in the process of finalising our report which will be submitted before the NCM in its weekly meeting.
"Whatever recommendations the NCM will make, we will write to Haryana Chief Minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) to take action based on the recommendations," he said.
The NCM will also apprise Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Minister (Independent Charge) Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi about its observations on the incident.
The visit of the delegation comes against the backdrop of Ahmad writing to Union Home minister on September 19, expressing concerns over "increasing violence" against Muslims by "so-called vigilante groups".
In his letter, Ahmad had referred to the attack on some Muslims in west Delhi and stated that such groups and series of incidents are "vitiating" social fabric of the country and are bound to disturb the overall climate of co-existence among communities.
"In particular, it is creating atmosphere of extreme insecurity and suspicions among the Muslims across the country and a deteriorating communal amity amongst communities that have traditionally lived together in peace and harmony," Ahmad had said in the letter, written in pursuant of complaints including one by Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehzad Poonawalla.
Ahmad also urged Singh to ask states to handle such
situations with "heavy hand" to enforce sense of security among the minorities in all seriousness.
Meanwhile, Poonawalla, who had filed three petitions before NCM over incidents, involving cow vigilante groups in Mewat and also Gujarat, today appreciated the Commission for taking up the issue before the Centre.
He also demanded the NDA government to act "decisively against such groups" which spread terror among Dalits and Muslims.
Listing such incidents including the mob lynching of a Muslim person for allegedly consuming beef in Dadri last year, Poonawalla demanded the Centre and state governments to ban them "like any other terrorist group".
"If the BJP government protects these groups as they are affiliated to Sangh Parivar, I will approach Supreme Court to do the same," he said.
