Amid the politics on beef, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar was caught in a row over his reported comments that Muslims can live in the country but will have to give up eating beef.
The Chief Minister was quoted as telling an English daily in an interview that “Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef as the cow is an article of faith here”.
Facing criticism over the statement, the Chief Minister however clarified that “If anyone has been hurt by my words, I am ready to express my regret...We were raised in spirit of unity in the society, our ideology is that of secularism,”
Khattar on his part sought to do damage control, said that his words have been misconstrued and twisted.
Meanwhile, Khattar’s recorded interview (in audio) was released by the English daily and played by news channels, making it clear that he had indeed made the controversial statement.
In the interview, Khattar is also quoted as saying that the Dadri killing was the “result of a misunderstanding” in which both sides had been wrong.
Coming close on the heels of controversial statements made by a few BJP leaders over the lynching of a Muslim by villagers in Dadri over rumours that he had eaten and stored beef, Khattar’s reported comments invited a strong backlash from the opposition parties.
In Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, on September 28, Mohammad Ikhlaq, was dragged out of his house by a mob of about 100 and beaten to death over rumours that he had beef in his home.
Manohar lal Khattar, 61, who took charge of the BJP’s first government in Haryana a year ago, is a veteran member of the party’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Khattar, who completes one year in office as Chief Minister on October 26, maintained that the cow, Bhagwad Gita and goddess Saraswati were articles of faith for the Hindu community.
He said that the constitution, which had no provision banning cow slaughter or consuming beef, had the provision that no one should do anything that offends the faith of another religion.
Commenting on Haryana CM’s remarks, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said, “The views expressed by Khattar are not that of the party. I will talk to him and will advise him.”
Haryana has the strictest legislation in the country against cow slaughter. For the “protection and upkeep” of cows, Haryana Assembly had passed a Bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for killing the animal. Haryana ‘Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan’ Bill, 2015, which also provides for a fine from Rs 30,000 to Rs one lakh, was passed by the Assembly on March 16.
Meanwhile, Haryana Cabinet Ministers have come to the rescue of Khattar over his remarks on cow slaughter.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, who has already demanded cow be declared as the national animal, on Friday said that cow slaughter should be banned across the country.
Vij had earlier this week posted on Twitter, “What should be our National AnimalIJ Cow or Tiger” and provided a platform for public voting on the issue. The tweet, which was posted on Monday has received more than 2800 votes in four days and 87 percent people chose cow as national animal.