NEW DELHI: India’s top court proposed measures yesterday to stem what it called growing violence by vigilantes who claim to be protecting cows, revered as holy by Hindus. India is reeling from a spate of horrific lynchings by Hindu extremists mostly targeting the country’s Muslim minority, who have historically eaten beef. Critics say that extremists emboldened by the current Hindu nationalist government’s tough stance on cow slaughter are using beef as a pretext to target the community. The Supreme Court was responding to a private petition from Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of India’s independence hero Mahatma Gandhi. It said state governments should appoint senior police officers tasked specifically with curbing such attacks.