Amid protest from BJP, Bengaluru to host beef festival

After Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru is set to host beef festival on Monday.

Bengaluru, May 29: The protest over beef ban is gaining momentum across the country, especially in the south. After Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Karnataka is set to host a beef festival to oppose the Centre's latest restrictions on sale of cattle across the country, on Monday evening.

The food event called--Mooment Bengaluru-- will be organised at Townhall, Bengaluru, on Monday at 4.30 pm.

According to the event organiser, Vyshakh Thaliyil, "The SFI, DYFI and students of Bengaluru are organising this event. Protestors can bring their own beef if they want and there will also be a few beef stalls which we will set up,"

"Of course, there will be opposition to our protest. We do expect a fallout but we have police protection," Varkey Parakkal, another organiser of the event, wrote on Facebook.

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah opposed the restrictions on sale of cattle which deny permission to slaughter cattle including cow and buffalo across the country.

"It is not binding on the state to implement the Centre's curbs on sale of cattle for slaughter as it is a state subject," Siddaramaiah said. However, the CM said that the state would respond only after examining the newly notified rules.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka has voiced protest over CM Siddaramaiah's remarks. The BJP also condemned the plans to host a beef festival in the IT city.

"What kind of deranged and twisted minds want to organise a beef fest and slaughter innocent cows just to make a political statement?" CT Ravi of the BJP tweeted.

Ravi also asked Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, Praveen Sood, to put a stop to the event.

Since the restrictions on sale of cattle were announced by the Environment Ministry on Friday, beef festivals were hosted in several parts of Kerala. In fact, four members of the Congress publicly slashed the head of an ox as part of protests in support of beef consumption.

On Monday, the four Congress men were suspended by the party for what vice president Rahul Gandhi called a "barbaric" act.

Students of the premier Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, hosted a beef festival on Sunday.

OneIndia News