The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on October 10. THE violence in Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh once again highlights how the issue of cow slaughter is being utilised to target the minority community. A mob attacked four men who were accused of killing a cow, two of whom are injured and in a critical condition. Some shops belonging to Muslims were set on fire. The Polit Bureau condemns these attacks. The men were skinning a dead cow which was used as the pretext for the attack. The Hindutva outfits have been for some time indulging in such provocative activities and creating discord. The Uttar Pradesh government must firmly crack down on such elements. It is not enough to arrest people after an incident. Preventive action must be taken against those organisations and persons who are spreading communal hatred in the name of the cow.