If Congress demands, we will ban beef in Assam, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati (Assam) – Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was ready to ban beef in Assam if state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah writes to him, seeking it. Responding to the allegation that BJP distributed beef to win the Muslim-dominated Samaguri, which was under Congress control for five consecutive terms, Sarma said he was happy that the opposition party raised the matter.
“Samaguri was with Congress for 25 years. Congress losing a constituency like Samaguri by 27,000 votes (sic) is the biggest shame in its history. It is Congress’s defeat more than BJP’s win,” he told reporters after a party meeting here on Saturday.
BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress’s Tanzil, son of party MP Rakibul Hussain, by 24,501 votes in a bypoll last month.
“But amidst sadness, Rakibul Hussain said one good thing that eating beef is wrong, isn’t it? He said that it was wrong for Congress-BJP to win elections by offering beef to voters,” the CM said when asked about the MP’s reported comment.
“I want to tell Rakibul Hussain that beef should be banned as he himself said it is wrong. He only needs to give me in writing that neither BJP nor Congress should speak about beef, in fact, it should be banned in Assam. If we do that, all problems will be solved,” Sarma said.
What does the law in Assam say ?
According to the ‘Assam Cattle Preservation Act 2021’, eating beef is not illegal in Assam; but in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in majority and in the vicinity of any temple or Vaishnava monastery, cow slaughter and sale of beef are prohibited.