‘Will ban beef in Assam if…’: CM Himanta dares Congress over meat distribution allegations

Congress party alleged that the BJP distributed beef to the voters to win the bypolls in the Muslim-dominated Samaguri constituency.

Published on: Dec 1, 2024, 12:33:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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Responding to Congress's allegations of BJP distributing beef to voters to win the recent by-polls, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was prepared to ban beef in Assam if the Congress wrote to him about the same.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was ready to ban beef in the state. (ANI)

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's remarks came in response to the Congress party's allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) distributed beef to the voters to win the by-polls in the Muslim-dominated Samaguri constituency.

Recently, Congress MP Rakibul Hussain also alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hosted a beef party to woo the minority voters in BJP's favour.

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"I want to know if Congress was winning Samaguri by offering beef to voters. He knows Samaguri very well. Does it mean that Samaguri can be won by offering beef?" asked Sarma.

Sarma also asked the Congress why it did not ban beef in Assam when they were in power. "Rakibul Hussain said one good thing that eating beef is wrong, isn't it? The CM asked.

"I want to tell Rakibul Hussain that beef should be banned as he said it is wrong. He only needs to give me in writing that neither the BJP nor Congress should speak about beef it should be banned in Assam. If we do that, all problems will be solved," Sarma said.

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Adding that he is ready to ban beef in the entire northeastern state if Congress chief Bupen Kumar Borah sends a written request to him, Sarma said he was happy that the opposition party raised the matter.

"I will write to Bhupen Borah and ask him if he also advocates banning beef in line with Rakibul Hussain, and just inform me. I will ban beef completely in the next assembly (accordingly). Then BJP, AGP, CPM, nobody will be able to offer, and Hindus, Muslims and Christians all should stop eating beef, and all problems will be solved," he added.

Notably, Consumption of beef is not illegal in Assam, but The Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021 bans cattle slaughter and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in majority and within a five-km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery).

Samaguri bypoll election

Samaguri was under Congress control for five consecutive terms and after BJP's win in the seat, the age-old party has alleged foul play in the recently held by-elections.

BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress' Tanzil, son of party MP Rakibul Hussain, by 24,501 votes in a poll last month.

Hussain, who won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat this year by a record margin of over 10.12 lakh votes, was an MLA from Samaguri for five consecutive terms before becoming a parliamentarian.

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HT News Desk
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