'Beef biryani' at AMU not cow meat, say police

Varsity spokesman clarifies that it is a common practice in India and abroad to refer to buffalo meat also as beef.

February 21, 2016 05:33 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:07 am IST - ALIGARH:

AMU Vice-Chancellor  Lt Gen (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah says there is no truth whatsoever in the entire allegation that cow meat is being served anywhere at the AMU campus and sees an attempt to whip up communal tension "on a very lame excuse." A spokesman of AMU says cow meat had been banned in this institution more than a century back by its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, keeping in view Hindu sensitivities.

AMU Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah says there is no truth whatsoever in the entire allegation that cow meat is being served anywhere at the AMU campus and sees an attempt to whip up communal tension "on a very lame excuse." A spokesman of AMU says cow meat had been banned in this institution more than a century back by its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, keeping in view Hindu sensitivities.

A preliminary probe has found “no evidence” to suggest that cow meat was served at the Aligarh Muslim University’s college canteen as was claimed by some right wing groups, police said.

“A police team led by the Station House Officer, Civil Lines Police Station, visited Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College’s canteen immediately after receiving complaints by some right wing organisations that beef was being served there. However, the team found no incriminating evidence whatsoever to suggest that any banned food item was being served in the canteen,” Senior Superintendent of Police K. Ravindra Gaur said.

Beef biryani

The row broke out after right wing activists alleged that ’beef biryani’ was being served at the AMU Medical College canteen, an allegation promptly denied by the university.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mayor Shakuntala Bharti, along with party leaders and several right wing activists, held a demonstration outside the office of Senior Superintendent of Police, demanding registration of an FIR against the contractor of AMU medical college canteen for serving ‘beef’

Buffalo meat as beef

An university spokesman clarified that it was a common practice in India and abroad to refer to buffalo meat also as beef.

In fact, cow meat had been banned in this institution more than a century back by its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, keeping in view Hindu sensitivities on this matter, he said.

AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah, said on Sunday that he was “seriously concerned” over the entire episode and the fact the City Mayor had taken up this issue with the police.

‘No meat in the argument’

“I wish to point out that there is no truth whatsoever in the entire allegation that cow meat is being served anywhere at the AMU campus. This is entirely an attempt to whip up communal tension on a very lame excuse,” Lt Gen (Retd.) Shah said.

“We, at AMU, are deeply aware of the sentiments involved in such sensitive issues and there is no question of permitting anybody for violating the law on this matter,” he said.

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