Meghalaya BJP leaders who quit party over cattle trade ban to hold beef festival

After Kerala MLAs, former BJP leaders who quit the party over ban on cattle trade for slaughter will hold a beef festival in Meghalaya’s Tura on Saturday evening.

Ex-BJP leaders of Meghalaya are protesting Central government’s ban on cattle trade for slaughter, a move that irked controversy and protest in several parts of the country including Northeast states.

The event is expected to be attended by over 2,000 people and they will be served with beef dishes and alcohol, the consumption of which is opposed by people following the Hindutva ideology that is shared by BJP members.

Hindus regard cow as a sacred animal but people especially in North-eastern states, Kerala and BJP governed Goa eat beef (cow meat).

“I quit the BJP as the party was trying to impose Hindutva ideology on us. We feel out of place in the party. Eating beef is part of our tradition and fest is our way of showing how intrinsic cow meat is to our culture,” said Bernard N Marak, who was the BJP’s district president in West Garo hills before he quit the party last week.

Also Read: Congress slams Modi govt, says it has no right to decide what should people eat

After Bernard’s resignation, Bachu C Marak, North Garo Hills district president also quit the party which followed by 5000 youth wing workers resignation.

The Centre’s ban on Cattle trade for slaughter led to murmurs of discontent in Nagaland and Mizoram as well. Assembly polls are due in both states next year and like Meghalaya, both states have dominant Christian populations and beef consumption is a common eating habit of people in these states.

Earlier on Thursday, MLAs of Kerala assembly had also organised a ‘beef festival’ at the state Assembly canteen and a special session was convened to pass a resolution against the Centre’s ban.