Recent lynching incidents, in particular the Ballabhgarh case, where Junaid Khan, 16, was killed and three others were hurt, dominated Thursday’s sitting of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The House passed a resolution asking people to uphold the Constitution and condemning lynching carried out in the name of cow protection.

AAP targets the BJP and the Prime Minister

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of selective concern. “The BJP can only see cow in people’s fridge and their plates,” he said, asking why the party ignored cows wandering Delhi’s streets, eating plastic bags and being hit by traffic. He also contrasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi embracing beef-eating leaders abroad with killings over beef at home.

AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleged that some self-styled cow protectors ate beef, claimed Union minister Kiren Rijiju did too, and said BJP leaders had ruled out a beef ban in poll-bound north-eastern states such as Nagaland for electoral reasons, calling it hypocrisy. She asked why the Prime Minister could not guarantee the safety of minorities. Suspended AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan asked why the loyalty of one community was being questioned.

For roughly two hours of the session’s second half, AAP members accused the Prime Minister of inaction and double standards and condemned violence carried out in the name of religion.

Clash over Kashmir

Tempers rose during Sisodia’s speech as BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa pressed for a resolution declaring Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India. AAP members accused him of trying to deflect attention from the lynching issue.

Speaker Ram Niwas Goel then stepped in. He asked: “Why no one talks about the part of Kashmir that is still with Pakistan?” He criticised the government for allowing 42% of imports from China while talking of Swadeshi, said he had served the RSS for 40 years and was pained by current events, and referred to the halted Mansarovar yatra. He then declared that the House was passing a resolution affirming Kashmir as an integral part of India.

See also: State assembly members

Originally published on 30 June 2017. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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