District Collector A. Murali’s advice to public to consume beef to maintain good health has attracted opposition from various quarters.
The Collector was addressing awareness rally on tuberculosis (TB) prevention at Etutunagaram mandal headquarters in the district on Friday.
He exhorted the villagers to ensure that the protein rich foods such as red-gram, meat and eggs be included in their diet to fight against the disease.
Traditional food
He further said if anyone found meat to be expensive they should consume wild boar and beef as an alternate. “The SC/STs used to consume these but with emergence of Brahminical culture, they lost their traditional food habits,” he said.
“It is my experience that during my overnight stay at many districts, the elders complain that they are not being allowed to eat animals. They also say they are not as physically fit as they were in the past because of change in food habits,” he said addressing people at the rally.
Hunting boars
Mr. Murali said as per the Central government regulations hunting and consuming wild pigs was not a crime and it won’t attract any legal actions. In Bhupalpalli district wild boars were huge in numbers and damaging crops.
The farmers should hunt them and consume them, he had said.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Archaka Samakya leaders B. Seshagiri Rao and G. Upendra Sharma have objected the Collector’s remarks. They said being a District Collector Murali should have not spoken in a way that hurts sentiments of a section of society.
Speaking to The Hindu , Mr. Murali said he did not mean to hurt anybody’s sentiments particularly Brahmins. He said he was sorry if his statements hurt any section of society.
