All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday, January 5, criticised the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government for its inaction against the accused in the latest case of lynching.

Owaisi also criticised the police, urging them to ensure justice in such cases and not protect the accused. Attacking UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Owaisi said, “Killing a person is still a crime in India, even if the person is a Muslim, and Uttar Pradesh is still a part of India.”

The Hyderabad MP’s reaction came after a Muslim man was beaten to death in UP’s Moradabad for allegedly slaughtering a cow. In a post on X, the AIMIM supremo said, “Uttar Pradesh police, just a reminder—you are the police, not a gang of unemployed criminals disguised as cow protectors. Do justice.”

On December 31, Mohammad Shahideen Qureshi was killed by a mob over allegations of cow slaughter. The UP police subsequently arrested the victim’s friend, Mohammad Adnan, in a case of cow slaughter.

Reports suggest that locals caught Shahideen and three of his companions near Mandi Samiti Chowki while they were allegedly trying to slaughter a cow by taking a stray calf. While Shahideen’s companions escaped, he was caught by the angry mob, who verbally abused, kicked, and beat him.

A video of the assault has emerged on social media, showing a grievously injured Shahideen lying on the ground, unable to move, with blood all over.