From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 16: National Commission of Scheduled Castes Chairman P L Punia has claimed that the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh was a “well planned conspiracy.”

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Friday after reviewing functioning of welfares schemes for SCs in Karnataka, he said so far the commission has not received any complaint with regard to lynching of the man at Dadri.

The commission has no powers to act on the incident on its own, he said.

He, however, wondered how the mob stormed the residence of Akhalaq and lynched him merely on the suspicion of possessing beef in his refrigerator at home, which later turned out to be mutton.

“Even assuming for argument’s sake that the meat found in the fridge was beef,’’ Punia asked whether it was a capital offence deserving death by lynching.

Punia suggested to the State Government to take steps to fill the 2,000 vacant posts reserved for SCs in the Karnataka.

He also asked the State Government to take steps for rehabilitation of safari karmacharis.

Punia, who winded up his two-day visit to the State, said “the commission will direct the state to sort out the issues, which can be addressed at the state level,” he said.