New Delhi: CPI(M) MP Ritabrata Banerjee on Wednesday tried to pin down the government in the Rajya Sabha on the spurt in the "hate crimes" but without success.
But he did not succeed in finding out the state-wise number of incidents of mob lynching in the country in the last six months through a separate question.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai wriggled out, saying "Indian Penal Code (IPC) does not define any crime as ‘hate crime’ and therefore, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain data under the head ‘hate crimes’."
He also pointed out that police and public order are state subjects and so the state governments are responsible for prevention, detection and investigation of crimes and for prosecution of the criminals.
The minister said his ministry has issued advisories to the States and UTs, from time to time, to maintain law and order and ensure that any person who takes law into his/her own hands is punished promptly as per law and they are available on its website www.mha.gov.in.
He gave the same reply on the mob lynching and referred to his ministry''s two advisories to the states and UTs in 2018 "for taking measures to curb incidents of mob lynching in the country" and keep watch on "fake news and rumours having potential of inciting mob violence and lynching."
