The controversy over biryani samples refuses to die down in Haryana even as it has put the Manohar lal Khattar Government on the backfoot.
After facing flak from the Opposition and social activists for ordering to check biryani samples for beef in Mewat district ahead of festival of Eid, the BJP-led Haryana Government has now come under attack from its own people for failing to act after the samples were tested positive for beef.
Acharya Yogendra Arya, who is a member of Haryana Gau Sewa Ayog has questioned the State Government for not acting against those found guilty for putting beef in biryani served at few places in Mewat.
Talking to The Pioneer, Acharya Yogendra demanded that strict action should be taken against the violators as per the law and said that if no action is taken against them, then all the efforts put in for cow protection would go in vain.
“It seems that the Government has so far refrained from taking action as the festival of Eid was being celebrated and they wanted to maintain communal harmony. But, the violators should be punished soon,” he said.
Acharya Yogendra, who also heads Haryana Gau Rakshak Dal had on Monday went to meet Chief Minister Manohar lal to raise the issue but could not meet him. “I will again try to meet the Chief Minister on this issue,” he said, adding the Haryana Government has enforced country’s strictest Act for cow protection and the same should be implemented in letter and spirit.
“We will wait for some more days for Government’s action and if nothing is done against the violators... we will decide the next course of action,” said Acharya Yogendra, whose Gau Rakshak Dal has more than 5,000 members across Haryana.
His remarks came at a time when gau rakshaks in Haryana have threatened a State-wide protest on September 15 if action is not taken against those who have been found guilty of using beef in biryani in Mewat.
Even though the top functionaries in the lala lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Hisar had claimed that samples of biryani were tested positive for beef, the State Government is treading cautiously on this sensitive issue.
Haryana senior Minister Anil Vij had also confirmed that samples were tested positive for beef and action would be taken soon, yet no FIR or arrests have been made into the case so far.
Amid the uproar over biryani policing, the Chief Minister had recently directed the Gau Seva Ayog to desist from any act which could disturb communal harmony and also pulled up senior officials of the animal husbandry department and cow protection task force for collecting biryani samples, a task to be carried out by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only.
The directions to collect samples were issued by Haryana Gau Seva Ayog after receiving complaints that beef was being added to the dish in Mewat. The move had attracted sharp criticism from the Opposition parties — the INlD and the Congress.
Meanwhile, Acharya Yogendra also lambasted the State Government for failing to take measures for the welfare of stray cattle in the State. “During the Assembly polls, the BJP had promised to solve the problem of stray cattle…But almost two years have passed since they formed the Government and nothing concrete has been done to construct cow sanctuaries in Haryana,” he added.
When contacted, IPS officer Bharti Arora, who is appointed by Haryana Government to supervise the functioning of teams constituted across the State to check slaughter and smuggling of cows, said that the Police Department has not received any report regarding the confirmation of beef in biryani samples.
“We have not received any report yet. So, no FIR and arrests have been made into the case,” Arora told The Pioneer.
She also clarified that it was just one time exercise and only seven samples of biryani were taken from Mewat after receiving complaints of beef being added to the dish.
Notably, cow slaughter and consumption of beef is a criminal offence in Haryana. last year, the government had enforced Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act 2015 making cow slaughter punishable with rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.’
Cow slaughter and smuggling is a sensitive issue across Haryana, as the animal is held in high respect and several
gau rakshak dals are formed to keep a vigil on those involved in the crime.