<p>Protests were held across India on Wednesday, June 28, in response to the “recent spate of targeted lynchings of Muslims in India,” according to the Facebook event</a> for the Delhi rally, which an estimated 2,000 people attended.</p><p>Protests were held in at least 12 cities</a> across India, in addition to a rally in London</a>.</p><p>Attacks against Muslims and Dalits, who consider beef a staple of their diet, have been on the rise, according to the BBC, which reported: “Cow slaughter is banned in several Indian states and those found violating the law can be jailed for up to 10 years. Parliament is also considering a bill to bring in the death penalty for the crime.”</p><p>Vigilante cow protection groups have been emboldened since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, the BBC reported</a>.</p><p>On Tuesday, a mob attacked a Muslim dairy farmer in Jharkhand, beating him and setting his house on fire after a cow carcass was spotted outside his home, Indian Express reported</a>.</p><p>On June 23, a 16-year-old Muslim teen, Junaid Khan, was stabbed to death by a mob of about 20 men armed with knives. Khan was riding the train with his brother in the northern state of Haryana, after doing Eid shopping in Delhi, when a fight broke out. Khan was accused of carrying beef in his bags, with the men yelling and calling him a “beef-eater” and “anti-national,” according to NDTV</a>.</p><p>This video shows the protest in Patna, the capital of India’s Bihar state. Credit: Facebook/Mohammad Aamir via Storyful</p><br />
