Controversy over beef consumption refuses to die down in Haryana. The latest controversial statements given by Chief Minister Manohar lal and his Cabinet Minister Anil Vij over beef consumption, has stroked a fresh row.
While the Chief Minister has already taken a U-turn on his statements of giving special permission on beef consumption for foreigners in the State if the Act allows, the Health Minister has said those who cannot live without eating beef should not visit Haryana where a stringent cow protection law is in place.
Talking to the mediapersons, Vij said there are some countries we don't visit because food and drinking habits there don't suit us. likewise, those people who can't live without eating beef should not come to Haryana, he said.
On the issue of giving special permits to foreigners to consume beef in the State, Vij said Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar has already clarified it and ruled out any plan to issue such licences and give relaxation to foreigners to consume beef in the State.
Another Haryana Minister Om Prakash Dhankar also said, “On the land of Haryana, beef is not permissible according to our law. Every land has its laws and beliefs.”
Anil Vij had last year pitched for declaring cow as the national animal and launched an online poll on the issue.
Three days back, the Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar was quoted as saying that he was open to relax the beef ban for foreigners in the state however following a controversy over his statement, he had later clarified that there is no such plan to give relaxations in beef consumption.
Following the controversial statements by Haryana Ministers, the Congress has now lashed out at Manohar lal and Anil Vij for their remarks.
Attacking Haryana Government over beef issue, former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that Manohar lal Khattar has taken a “U-turn” on the issue and that the BJP is bereft of a “stable policy”.
“Haryana CM has taken U-turn on it. Actually I had read his statement where he said “we will take special permission on beef for foreigners”. The Act has been passed in the Assembly. If you want to amend it to get special permission, then you have to go to the Assembly. The whole Assembly was unanimous when it passed the Cow Protection Act,” Hooda said.
Taking on the BJP, Hooda said, “I am Arya Samaji. I am against eating of cow meat. While we said we will be opposing it, the Chief Minister has taken a U-turn, because the BJP has no stable policy.”
The former Chief Minister and his son Deepender, who is a Member of Parliament, also criticised the State's Health Minister Anil Vij for his statement that those eating beef should not think of stepping into the state of Haryana.
Controversy over beef consumption Haryana "There is a widespread discontent against the BJP led State Government. In order to divert people's attention from the failure, it is taking these kinds of issues. It would be better if it focuses on Haryana's development," they said.
Amid the controversy over beef, the Chief Minister Manohar lal while talking to the mediapersons in Chennai on Wednesday said that there is no controversy over the ban on beef in the state. No one has approached the Government in this regard. The Government has already implemented an Act in this regard, he added.
In another controversial statement in October in 2015, Khattar was quoted as saying that "Muslims will have to give up eating beef if they wanted to live in India".
After coming into power, the Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana had passed a strong law which banned the sale, trafficking and slaughtering of cows, with rigorous imprisonment of three to 10 years for violations. President Pranab Mukherjee had approved the law in November 2015.
The law clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to 10 years for killing the animal.