Beef sets off ire in Kerala House

New Delhi: The beef controversy at New Delhi’s Kerala House took a political turn with top politicians, including several Chief Ministers, raising questions about the growing intolerance across the country.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee lashed out at Hindutva fringe elements running amok. Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy wrote a strong letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he condemned the incident and the police action.

Beef fry, that was taken off the menu at the Kerala House canteen on Tuesday after Monday’s Delhi police raid, will be available again from Wednesday. Condemning the incident at Kerala House, where some Hindu Sena activists had threatened to create a ruckus as they suspected the Kerala government complex canteen was serving beef, Ms Banerjee warned of “an unwise and unhealthy attempt to curb the fundamental rights of people”.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that this was an “attack on the federal structure” of the country, saying that the “Delhi police had no business to enter Kerala House... Delhi police is acting like BJP Sena”.

The Kerala CM in a strongly-worded letter to the PM, said: “I would like to inform you that the Kerala House staff canteen serves authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine, and the items in the menu are entirely within the law.” He accused Delhi police of “overstepping its brief”.