After Nagaland's BJP chief Visasolie Lhoungu said that beef ban will not be imposed in Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram if the party wins the Assembly elections in these three states, N Sreeprakash, the BJP candidate for the Mallapuram by-poll in Kerala has echoed similar sentiments , saying that he will ensure "halal beef" for his constituency if elected, reports The Indian Express.
Whereas northeastern states Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram have a predominant christian population, the Malappuram district in Kerala is dominated by Muslims. Beef is consumed in large quantities in both regions.
Perhaps to win muslim votes in the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency, N Sreeprakash also assured the voters neat, air-conditioned slaughter houses to supply quality beef in the constituency.
"I assure you that I would ensure supply of halal meat in Malappuram if you elect me in the byelection. I will make the effort to establish good slaughterhouses, no doubt about that. You should not hesitate to vote for me on the ground that the BJP is supporting beef ban,’’ the report quoted him as saying.
Although the BJP's stance on beef consumption has been stringent and unapologetic, this time, however, the party is accused of hypocrisy considering the statements of a few candidates that are radically different than the one the party mainly propogates.
The saffron party won a mammoth victory in the most populous state in the Assembly Elections this year. With Yogi Adityanath on its helm, the party intensified the 'gau raksha' movement, shutting down slaughterhouses claimed to be 'illegal' across Uttar Pradesh. Many leaders from other states joined the chorus and demanded stringent laws on cow protection.
The Gujarat Assembly passed an amendment bill prescribing life imprisonment for those found guilty of slaughtering cows.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh too was in the news for his rather controversial opinion that cow killers should be hanged.
Taking a dig at BJP's dual speak, All-India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen's Asaduddin Owaisi said "BJP's hypocrisy is that in Uttar Pradesh cow is mummy but in the Northeast it's yummy."
