Assam Cabinet meeting has decided to ban beef in hotels, restaurants and public places in the state on Wednesday, December 4. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said he was ready to ban beef in Assam if state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah writes to him. Congress has alleged that the BJP distributed beef to win the Muslim-dominated Samaguri, which was under Congress control since 2001 and was a Muslim-majority seat. BJP and its allies won all the five seats in the recently held by election.
Assam government in 2021, had passed a controversial Cattle Preservation 2021 Act which allowed the sale of beef only at designated places restricting any kind of sale in areas resided by non-beef-eating communities. Speaking on the matter, the CM stated, the cabinet decision is an expansion of that decision. “What we started three years back consumption of beef was banned within a radius of 5 km of temple, Satra. Today we have taken a step ahead and decided that beef will be banned in hotels, and restaurants and will not be served in public places. Assam government has passed the Cattle Preservation 2021 Act, and we have had a lot of success,” stated Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The opposition parties such as the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has questioned the intention of the Assam government. Speaking on the matter, AIUDF Rafiqul Islam stated, “This is an unfortunate decision against secularism, we have around 40% around Muslim population, along with Christian population in other Northeast states. Today’s decision will harm the minority community and it will impact the organisation locally.”
Congress MP Rakibul Hussian stated that the Assam CM has tried to please the BJP central leadership with the move. “The results in Jharkhand have decreased Himanta Biswa Sarma’s TRP in Delhi. He is spending the money of Assam’s people in Jharkhand. Himanta Biswa Sarma is now unpopular among backward castes and tribes. He is also unpopular within BJP. He does not talk about the loans he takes. This decision by the Chief Minister is to manage the situation in Delhi,” added Rakibul Hussain.
