Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, after two Muslim cattle traders were killed in Jhabbar, Jharkhand. In his letter, Azad said that such instances of mob violence give the impression that democracy does not exist in India. The Congress leader said that “it is nobody’s case that cow slaughter should not be banned”, but that people transporting animals should not be targeted. The letter also said the “entire nation is worried about the unchecked growth of communal hatred and mistrust being brewed for the sake of electoral politics”, and that there was an “urgent need” to check this before it's too late, reported ANI.

On Saturday, five men were arrested in connection with the deaths of the cattle traders, one of whom was a member of a cow protection organisation. PTI reported that the police imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the area, which does not allow gatherings of more than 10 people.