Assam govt bans consumption of beef with immediate effect following meat-for-vote controversy in Muslim-dominated Samaguri

The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the ban on the consumption of beef with immediate effect on Dec 4.

He said that the decision was made by his Cabinet after reviewing comments from State Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah and Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain.

They had expressed concerns about political parties using beef distribution in order to influence voters in the Samaguri Assembly constituency, which has a significant Muslim population.

“Over the last few days, Bhupen Borah and Rakibul Hussain expressed concerns over beef consumption and gave the impression that they do not want beef to be consumed. The Cabinet analyzed their statements and found that our Act, although strong, did not have this provision,” Sarma said on Dec 4 after the Cabinet meeting.

“In no restaurant, in no hotel, beef can be served from today. Also, no beef can be served in various social gatherings like religious functions and other public functions. Public consumption of beef has been totally prohibited from today,” he added.

He continued, “There will be no serving of beef in religious, social, and other public functions, and this provision will be added to strengthen the Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021.”

The Act now prohibits the slaughter of cattle and the sale of beef in areas that are predominantly populated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, as well as within five kilometers of their places of worship.

The State Cabinet's decision to outlaw the consumption of beef was resisted by Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, an MLA and general secretary of the minority-based All India United Democratic Front.

"Cabinet should not be deciding what people eat or wear," said Islam, criticizing the BJP-led government.

He questioned the BJP's inconsistent stance on beef issues, saying, "If they cannot ban beef in Goa or other northeastern states, why in Assam? We do not pay much heed to this decision."

In Samaguri, one of five Assembly seats in Assam where byelections were held on Nov 13, political groups, especially the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegedly distributed meat to entice voters, leading to the controversy surrounding beef consumption.

“After leading the BJP to a humiliating loss in Jharkhand, the Chief Minister of Assam is attempting to obscure his failure. Like the discerning voters of Jharkhand, the people of Assam will also punish the BJP’s corruption, misrule, and obscene wealth in the upcoming election,” Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said on X.