Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday introduced a whole ban on the general public consumption of beef within the state — together with in eating places and group gatherings.
The choice was taken at a Cupboard assembly held earlier within the day. Chatting with the media after the assembly, Sarma claimed that the transfer was prompted by a dialogue on some latest statements by Congress leaders, who accused the BJP of wooing voters “with beef” in Samaguri – the Muslim-majority seat the BJP received within the bypoll final month.
In keeping with the most recent determination, beef can’t be served in any lodges, restaurant or group capabilities — whether or not non secular or in any other case. In keeping with the CM, provisions to this impact might be added to the prevailing Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021.
The regulation in Assam presently bars the sale and buy of beef and beef merchandise in areas “predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and different non-beef consuming communities”, or “inside a radius of 5 km” of any temple or sattra (Vaishnavite monasteries).
“In the previous couple of days, the Congress president Bhupen Borah and occasion chief Rakibul Hussain have been expressing unhappiness about beef in other places and have been giving the general public the concept additionally they don’t need beef. We mentioned their statements point-by-point in right now’s Cupboard assembly and we noticed that our present regulation on beef is sort of robust however it lacks a provision on whether or not or not beef could be consumed in group festivals or lodges or eating places,” Sarma advised the media Wednesday.
“We’ll put new provisions on these traces in our act and I feel that these provisions will strengthen our Act and take ahead what Rakibul Hussain and Bhupen Borah had been asking for. So, we anticipate that the Congress will assist us,” he stated.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Act laws was initially meant to be relevant to all cattle (cows, bulls, bullocks, buffaloes). Earlier than it turned a regulation, buffaloes had been faraway from the definition. Whereas it prohibits slaughter of a cow underneath any circumstances, different cattle could be slaughtered topic to a “match for slaughter” certificates.
Final month, BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarmah beat Congress’s Tanzil Hussain in Samaguri by 24,501 votes. For Congress, the defeat got here as a significant shock – Tanzil’s father and occasion heavyweight Rakibul Hussain had held the seat for 5 consecutive phrases earlier than being elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this yr.
After this loss, Rakibul had visited completely different components of north and higher Assam and alleged that Sarma and the BJP had “betrayed” the Hindutva they declare to espouse by “providing beef” and “pursuing Bengali Muslim voters”. Talking within the presence of Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah in Lakhimpur’s Ranganadi, he stated this was additionally a betrayal of the “ethnic Assamese communities” which populate north and higher Assam, and known as Sarma “two-faced”.
These allegations weren’t countered by Sarma, however as an alternative the CM turned Hussain’s feedback on their head on Sunday, saying that his authorities was prepared to introduce a beef ban within the state if the Congress “asks for it”.
The Indian Categorical had reported {that a} part of the Assam Congress management was uncomfortable with this line and had anticipated that it may very well be used towards them by the BJP. After Sarma’s announcement, a senior Congress chief stated that the occasion was in a troublesome place.
“That is what we acquired into by uttering this stuff. There was no want for the occasion president to endorse the MP [Dhubri MP Rakibul] making these statements. We should always avoid communal waters. Now a piece of Hindu voters might be glad, whereas Muslims might be sad with each. That is only a political assertion by Sarma,” stated the chief.
All India United Democratic Entrance (AIUDF) Basic Secretary Aminul Islam additionally known as it a “political gimmick”.
“We condemn this determination by the Cupboard, this can be a fully private matter affecting almost 40 p.c of the state’s inhabitants… The CM discovered a degree from which to create a setback for the Congress and jumped on it and is attempting to play a political recreation earlier than panchayat polls and the 2026 meeting polls. The cow is the BJP’s subject, why did they increase this and attempt to snatch this concern from the BJP,” he stated.
In keeping with the 2011 Census, 34.22 p.c of Assam’s inhabitants are Muslim whereas 3.74 p.c are Christian.
