Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after the cabinet meeting held in New Delhi said, “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, restaurants and will not be served in public places.”
He added, “Assam government has passed the Cattle Preservation 2021 Act, and we have had a lot of success.”
Assam chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said he was ready to ban beef in Assam if state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah writes to him, seeking such it.
Congress has alleged that BJP distributed beef to win the Muslim-dominated Samaguri, which was under Congress control for five consecutive terms. BJP and its allies won all the five seats in the recently held by election.
BJP’s Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress’ Tanzil, son of party MP Rakibul Hussain in a bypoll last month.Sarma while talking to media persons had said, “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.He said, ” If congress leaders want they can write to me and I will ban eating beef. In the next election I will only ask people to vote for Congress if eating beef is banned. “
“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 or Congress should speak about beef, in fact, it should be banned in Assam. If we do that, all problems will be solved,” Sarma said.
The CM further said that he would write to the state Congress president about his stand on beef. So, 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.
Assam government has passed tabled Cattle Preservation 2021 Act which allowed sale of beef only at designated places restricting any kind of sale in areas resided by non-beef-eating communities.
According to the action, “No person shall directly sell or offer or expose for sale or buy beef products in any form except at places permitted to do so by the competent authority. Provided that no such permission shall be granted in such areas or areas which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain Sikh and other non-beef eating communities or within a radius of 5 km of temple, satra.
