Ever since the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, beef and cow protection have been one of the much debated topics across India. Cow vigilantism gained widespread media spotlight in September 2015 after a 60-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri for allegedly possessing beef. However, forensic reports later revealed that he had in fact possessed mutton, not beef.
Cow vigilantism has been in the news lately after Yogi Adityanath took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. The blanket ban on slaughter across the state and the alleged forced closure of meat shops in the state highlight the growing vigilantism by "gau rakshaks".
Here are a few gau rakshak attacks across India since the 28 September, 2015 Dadri lynching:
Udhampur truck attack
On 9 October 2015, a truck was attacked by petrol bombs by alleged Hindu extremists after rumours of it carrying dead cows emerged. Zahid Ahmad, the truck driver succumbed to his injuries 10 days later, while another man suffered serious burn injuries.
As news of the death in Delhi spread, mobs took to the streets in the southern district of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley and blocked the Jammu-Srinagar highway by burning tyres.
The highway is the only road link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India.
They also shouted slogans against the government, and pelted stones at security personnel who tried to disperse them.
According to NDTV, the forensic report later concluded that the cows died due to food poisoning and had not been slaughtered.
Seven people were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for the murder of Zahid.
