Beef controversy in Mewat reflects sinister conspiracy: Congress

Chandigarh, Sep 9 Opposition Congress today alleged that the whole controvery "being generated" over beef in Mewat reflected "a sinister conspiracy" to target and persecute people belonging to one particular religion.

"Regarding the whole controvery being generated over beef in Mewat, it reflects a sinister conspiracy to target and persecute people of one religious denomination on part of BJP government of Haryana which is running an agenda sometimes to polarise and divide the state on regional or caste lines and sometimes on religious lines," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here.

Following complaints that beef was being added to biryani, police and cow vigilantes in Mundaka village in Mewat are keeping close vigil to avoid any such incident in view of Eid al-Adha to be celebrated next week.

Haryana Congress vice-president and former minister Aftab Ahmed had yesterday said the measures were a "humiliation to the minority community and the particular area".

When asked to comment on the beef controversy, Surjewala said, "I think government forgets that Mewatis are those brave people who at the instance of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru refused to leave India and go to Pakistan, even at the time of partition."

"There had never been a communal clash in Haryana since its inception (in 1966). It is only after the BJP government came to power that this entire division on various fronts between brothers has started in Haryana. It is to hide the policy paralysis in the government," Surjewala said.

The Haryana government has enforced Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gau Samvardhan Act 2015 making cow slaughter punishable with rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

PTI