Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar said on Saturday that reports of collection of samples of biryani from the Mewat region to test for beef was an attempt to “terrorise minorities” at the time of Eid and deflect attention from two gruesome murders and rapes in the State.
“Bakrid is coming and a particular community is being terrorised in the State on the occasion of a festival,” Mr. Tanwar told The Hindu.
He charged the BJP government in the State with trying to deflect attention from the murders of a couple and the gang rape of their two daughters at Dingerheri village on the night of August 24, which led to much criticism of the BJP government.
“There is a perception that the BJP government in the State and the administration want to divert attention from the Dingerheri double murder and gang rape,” he said.
Mr. Tanwar questioned the BJP’s commitment to the cause of the cow, saying that thousands of cows were roaming on the streets without getting care. This also created problem for motorists and led to accidents, he said.
“Before beef checks, it should — though it is related to religious sentiments — make special arrangements for people. The BJP leadership is aloof and insensitive to this and it is just a political issue for them.”
The State government’s decision to test biryani samples from Mewat — with reports from a Hissar university lab saying that it contained beef — has created a controversy and also spread unease among Muslims.
There is a stringent cow protection law in the State. The punishment for cow slaughter is ten years in jail, and for trading in beef, it’s five years in jail.
