Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Monday hit out at AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for the latter’s criticism of bulldozer actions against 11 houses in a MP village in which beef was found, reminding him that “Madhya Pradesh is not Hyderabad”. Taking exception to Owaisi’s recent statement on the issue, Yadav, in a post in X, said that “Please tell him (Owaisi) that he should not mistake Madhya Pradesh for Hyderabad. This is Madhya Pradesh and there is a BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, and the BJP government is capable of dealing with all mischievous elements and goons”.

While talking to media persons here on Tuesday, Yadav said that his government would deal with cattle smugglers strongly. The local administration demolished 11 houses in the village of Bhainwahi under Nainpur police station in Mandla district on Saturday after beef, animal hides and skeletons were found in these houses, according to Mandla district superintendent of police Rajat Saklecha. Eleven people were booked under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Cow Slaughter Prohibition Act in connection with the incident.

One of them was arrested. Taking to X, Owaisi accused the Madhya Pradesh government of targeting Muslims by accusing them of possessing beef and demolishing their houses. In his post in X, he said, “In 2015, a mob killed Akhlaq after barging into his house, calling the meat in his fridge as beef”. “The work that the mob used to do earlier is now done by the government. The Madhya Pradesh government accused some Muslims of keeping beef in their fridges and demolished 11 houses”, Owaisi said.