Deaths Due to ‘Gau Raksha’ Increased by 69% Under Yogi Govt in UP

UP law and order faces criticism after increased number of lynchings.

(Photo: The Quint)

Under Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's governance, violence over gau raksha has increased by 69 percent. UP's law and order has been questioned after a cop was killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr.

This figure was presented by FactChecker.in database, which tracks such crimes.

There have been 21 cases of such attacks in 2018. Four people died in these attacks including 45-year-old Qasim Qureshi in Hapur, and 20-year-old Shahrukh in Bareilly.

Police inspector Subodh Kumar and a civilian were killed in the Bulandshahr violence that took place on 3 December.

Police inspector Subodh Kumar killed in Bulandshahr violence(Photo: PTI)

In 2017, West Bengal topped the list of number of deaths caused by violence over gau raksha. Five people were reportedly killed in the state due to violence over cows.

Before Yogi Adityanath came to power in March 2017, only 5 cases of gau rakshaks inciting violence were registered in UP. However, by 3 December this year, 11 cases have already been registered. 

40 percent of violence resulted in deaths in UP.(Photo: The Quint)

Across India, 10 people lost their lives in 2018, in 21 attacks carried out by gau rakshaks. This figure is only one number less than the total deaths in 2017.

After 2010 (when the database on gau raksha-related deaths began to be created), 97% of the violence related to cow vigilantism occurred after 2014.

In the year 2018, out of the number of people killed in 40 percent of attacks in UP, 29 percent of the cases were relate to gau raksha.

Eleven attacks across Haryana claimed five lives. Seven attacks in Madhya Pradesh claimed three lives, seven attacks in Rajasthan claimed four lives, while 16 attacks in UP claimed 9 lives. Nine attacks in Jharkhand claimed five lives, and in eight attacks that occured in Gujarat and Karnataka, one person died.

(With inputs from IndiaSpend)