BJP using its sister-bodies to polarise people on communal grounds: Cong

The political beef about beef continued as Goa Congress has charged the BJP-led NDA government of using its frontal organisations to prop up its hidden agenda of polarising the people on communal grounds – a day after rightwing Hindu outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for a beef ban in Goa, while earlier BJP senior leader and MP Subramaniam Swamy had commented on national television that "Goa has a tradition. We have to change that."

"It is a well-planned and well-thought out strategy of the BJP at the Centre and the only hidden agenda behind these statements is to polarize the people of Goa on communal grounds. The BJP and its frontal organizations like VHP want to divide the united people of Goa," GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro told media, adding, "The BJP also wants to create a situation of artificial beef shortage in the State and has appointed an extra-constitutional authority like VHP to prop up their hidden agenda. The act of the BJP-ruled Central Government on deciding who will eat what or who will wear what ot how many children a couple would have – is very dangerous to our constitutional setup. It is a serious threat." Pointing out that under the Goa, Daman and Diu Cow Slaughter Act, there is prohibition on slaughter of cows, Faleiro said "The question of cow slaughter does not arise. Also, we have a government-run Goa Meat Complex for legal slaughter."

Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, while condemning the VHP statement on banning beef consumption, said the Goa Government and its allies should come clear on this issue.

"The issue of cow slaughter has been settled once and for all and nobody wants to kill cows which are primarily bred. Being a cattle farmer myself, I do not want to kill cows," he said. adding that the VHP tirade was basically to target the minority communities including primarily Muslims and Catholics who consume beef and Muslims involved in the beef trade in Goa.

NCP MLA and former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao also condemned the VHP statement on beef consumption ban and said that beef is staple food of minorities where the VHP cannot think of stopping its consumption as it would amount to an attack on the minorities.