Shillong: In Meghalaya, which goes to the polls early next year, the state unit of BJP said there would not be any beef ban in the state and alleged that the Congress was “misleading” the people on the issue to gain political mileage ahead of the assembly elections next year.
The Centre has not imposed any beef ban in Meghalaya, state BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh said, adding the May 23 notification only regulated the manner in which animal markets were supposed to function and how animals brought for trade were to be treated.
“(The) rules do not, at any point, ban cow slaughter. Though the rules do not say it, the justification for them can perhaps be traced to the direction of the Supreme Court, which passed an order to frame guidelines to prevent animals from being smuggled out of India for the Gadhimai Festival held in Nepal, where large scale animal sacrifice takes places, and to Bangladesh,” he said.
BJP spokesperson J A Lyngdoh said in a statement that the party “has already clarified that it (beef ban) will not be imposed in the northeastern states. Livestock is a state subject. It is up to the states to decide”.
He also said beef ban would not be imposed in the state, adding preventing cow slaughter was neither a good economic measure nor had constitutional backing.
Noting that the ruling Congress is running out of ideas to fight the BJP, the party spokesperson said that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma was “misleading” the people on the issue to gain political mileage ahead of assembly elections next year.
Sangma had reportedly said that the Centre’s notification should be withdrawn as it would impact the state’s economy and the food habits of the people.
Earlier this year, the Saffron party leader in Meghalaya has not only ruled out beef ban in the state but has also promised reduction of its price for the poor if the BJP comes to power in 2018.
With agencies inputs