Cow Vigilante Shot At In Telangana; BJP Hits Out At AIMIM, Says Police ‘Colluding With Mafia’

A cow vigilante identified as Sonu was shot by alleged cow smugglers in Hyderabad’s Ghatkesar area on Wednesday, leaving him critically injured. Police said Sonu, who has been active in cow protection efforts for over five years, was lured to the site by a group claiming to have information on illegal cattle transportation. When he arrived, one of the men reportedly opened fire. He is now undergoing treatment in hospital, while police have detained several suspects and launched an investigation. Sonu’s mother, a member of the Valmiki community, told ANI that her son called moments after being shot. “My son is battling for his life. I will sacrifice 10 more sons for the cow vigilante… It has been 5–6 years since he has been doing this. I demand that the government arrest the perpetrator,” she said. The incident has triggered sharp political reactions. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy condemned the attack, alleging that cow-smuggling mafias operate freely due to police negligence. “A mafia that illegally transports cows called up ‘gau rakshaks’ and fired at them… Police are colluding with these mafias. I have spoken to Sonu—he demanded the arrest of the perpetrator,” Reddy said. BJP leader Madhavi Latha accused AIMIM of shielding the accused, calling it an “attempt to murder.” “Those who protect cows are protecting the Constitution. If police don’t arrest the culprit, they are helping them. The accused is an AIMIM man,” she claimed, challenging Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to act. State BJP president N. Ramchander Rao alleged that “MIM goons” orchestrated the attack to intimidate BJP and RSS workers. “This is a serious incident, and police were previously informed. BJP condemns this attack and the inaction of police,” he said. BJP MP Eatala Rajendar also criticised the government, saying such assaults on cow protectors are becoming frequent. “A goon named Ibrahim fired at Prashanth (Sonu). The state government must act against those responsible,” he said. Police said the shooting appears to be linked to illegal cattle transport networks and that further arrests are expected as investigations continue.