Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, August 27, once again spoke out against the acts of vandalism and arson in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case by a special Central Bureau of Investigation court on Friday.
He had, on Friday evening, already condemned the violence in a series of tweets that also assured all possible measures to bring the situation back to normal.
Modi has been criticised on several occasions on speaking out too late against issues, or not participating in debates on them. Allegations of the second kind might be levelled against him this time, especially because the Dera violence death toll has risen to 36, and even the Punjab and Haryana High Court has criticised him.
What Modi said
"India is the land of Gandhi ii and Lord Buddha. Violence is not in our culture. No form of violence is acceptable," said Modi.
Referring to his Independence Day speech, Modi said: "I had said from the Red Fort as well that violence in the name of belief systems will not be tolerated, be it communal beliefs, belief in political ideologies, belief in individuals or belief in cultures.
He added: "Nobody has the right to take law into their hands in the name of culture."
Modi then said: "I wish to assure my countrymen that neither this nation nor this government will tolerate people who take the law into their own hands or perpetrate violence in the name of religion."
The prime minister also said everyone has to kneel before the law, and it is the law that will decide the punishment.
Too little too late?
Sections of the Opposition can now claim Modi's statements on the Dera members' violence in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, where the death toll from their clashes with the police and the Army has risen to 36, is too little too late.
A similar allegation had been levelled against the prime minister over his perceived delay in addressing the nation on topics such as cow vigilantes and anti-Dalit violence.
Modi, it may be noted, has already been chastised by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the Centre's "knee-jerk reaction" to the Dera violence.
The three-judge bench of the court asked the Centre: "Why do you treat the region as colonies?"
When pointed out that such violence has taken place in other states as well, the court observed: "National integrity is above parties. Are we one nation or a party nation?"
