New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has said that anyone who takes part or supports in incidents of hate and lynching cannot claim that they are nationalists while expressing his opinion that legislation was not enough to bring a change in societal behavior. In his opinion, only a change in the society can help.

The vice president also disliked the politicization of lynching incidents by saying that such cases should not at all be considered to be the handiwork of political parties.

“Societal change (is needed). This (lynching) is not because of this party or that party. The moment you attribute it to these parties, the cause is lost. That is what is happening, let me be very frank,” he said.

When asked about the incidents of hate and lynching across the country, he said that the trend was not a new one and there have been such instances in the past also.

“It is the societal behaviour that has to change…when you kill the other man, how can you call yourself nationalist. On the basis of religion, on the basis of caste or on the basis of colour, or on the basis of gender, you discriminate. Nationalism, Bharat Mata Ki Jai has a wider meaning,” Mr. Naidu told PTI in an interview on Tuesday.

He was of the opinion that some of these kinds of things cannot be corrected through legislation alone and there was a need for societal change.

The government at the centre has been under attack from Congress party and many other opposition parties over the issue of lynching incidents in various parts of the country in the last couple of years.

According to the data available with the Home Ministry, about 40 people were lynched in nine states in the past one year.

The government at the centre led by BJP is accused by the opposition and various civil rights groups of not putting any effort to contains such incidents and bring the involved persons to justice.

The Supreme Court in its comments on July 17 has said that “horrendous acts of mobocracy” cannot be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued many guidelines in this regard to dealing with the issue of mob lynching and cow vigilantism. And on the other side, it has also asked the center to consider bringing in a new law to deal with such kind of incidents in a very stern manner.

A panel was appointed by the government to find out solutions to curb such incidents is believed to have recommended framing a new legislation.

“When the Nirbhaya issue came, there was a clamor for Nirbhaya act. Nirbhaya act has come, did they stop. I am not getting into politics, the political parties they have their own way of highlighting it. I (had) said, what is required is not a mere bill, political will, administrative skill, and then go for the kill of the social evil. I had said in Parliament,” said Mr Naidu.

Mr. Naidu said that there was indeed a need to debate about the topic of nationalism in the country for which it should also be properly defined and articulated.

“According to me nationalism or ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ means ‘Jai Ho’ to 130 crore people. Any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex, religion or region is against nationalism,” the vice president said.

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