Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said there was no atmosphere of fear among minority communities in India, PTI reported. His statement came a day after countrywide demonstrations, dubbed “Not in My Name”, were held by citizens protesting against the recent spate in lynchings and cases of communal violence.

“I do not think there is fear or insecurity among minorities,” he said. “But whatever incidents are taking place, be it big or small, be it a criminal conspiracy, in no way is it justified.”

Naqvi suspects the involvement of “hostile forces” behind incidents of mob violence, and said the Narendra Modi government was committed to ensuring the safety of every section of the society.

He further said that the governments of Rajasthan, Haryana and Jharkhand had taken action against the perpetrators of such acts “without wasting any time”. He went on to list a number of schemes the Centre had implemented to help minority communities develop through “education, employment and empowerment”.

The Union minister’s comments come a day after it was reported that a Muslim dairy farmer in Jharkhand’s Giridh district was attacked by a mob of more than 100 people on suspicion that he had slaughtered a cow. Ten people have been detained in connection with the case.

On June 22, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death on board a Delhi-Mathura train. Junaid Khan and his brothers were abused and attacked by a group of men in the train after an altercation, allegedly over seats. Reports had earlier claimed that the brothers were attacked because they were suspected to have been carrying beef.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he disapproved of the killings in the name of cow worship, and that Mahatma Gandhi would have condemned such acts, as well. “Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve,” he said.