Meghalaya BJP Minister Wants People To Eat More Beef Than Chicken Or Mutton, Here Is Why
The BJP's problems with beef and cattle slaughter are well established. In almost all BJP-ruled states, they have banned both the sale and consumption of beef or even cattle slaughter for that matter.
But the BJP has made some exemptions in their crusade against beef - in Goa and northeast, where the party was only established as a player recently.
In fact, in the northeast where beef is a staple food, in almost all states, the BJP at times had to reassure people there that their favourite red meat won't be banned amid the party's attempt to impose it across the country.
Now a BJP leader from the northeast has gone one step further and is encouraging people to eat more beef.
"Eat more beef"
BJP leader and Meghalaya minister Sanbor Shullai is urging the people of his state to eat more beef than chicken, mutton and fish, dispelling the apprehension that his party was against it.
"I encourage the people to eat more beef than chicken, mutton or fish. By encouraging people to eat more beef, the perception that BJP will impose a ban on cow slaughter will be dispelled," Shullai, who was sworn in as a cabinet minister last week, said.
The new Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister of Meghalaya also assured that he would speak to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to ensure that cattle transportation to Meghalaya was not affected by the new cow legislation in the neighbouring state.
Last month, Assam had passed the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 which proposes to forbid sale and purchase of beef in places predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or within a radius of 5 kms of any temple, sattra (Vaishnav monasteries) or any other institution or area as may be prescribed by the authority.
The state government may, however, exempt certain places of worship or certain occasions for slaughter of cattle other than calf, heifer and cow for religious purposes.
This is not the first time BJP has made such exemptions in Meghalaya. In 2017, Bernard Marak, a BJP leader from Garo Hills had promised to reduce the price of beef if his party was elected to power in the Meghalaya assembly elections.
Though the BJP came to power in Meghalaya, Marak could not fulfill his promise as by the time he had quit the party over the Environment Ministry's?order restricting cattle sale only for agriculture purposes, which was BJP's biggest attempt so far to have a beef ban across the country.
