Tamil Nadu: BJP takes up cudgels against anti-cow slaughter ban

CHENNAI: Faced by escalating protests from various quarters to the Centre’s ban on sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter, the BJP, which went on the defensive, almost stopped short of calling the DMK and other parties opposed to the ban as “butchers  who also endorsed calf slaughter.”

While the saffron party took up cudgels against Opposition DMK for opposing the ban, the Hindu Munnani which branded those opposing cow slaughter as “anti-Hindus” said it would soon stage a protest to send Chinese delicacies like snake and frog to DMK working president M.K. Stalin, Naam Tamilar Katchi’s Seeman and others, for free.

Describing Mr Stalin’s opposition as “misleading campaign” BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan sought to know from him if he supported calf slaughter. Lashing out at Stalin for staging a protest meeting in the city to condemn the Centre’s recent order banning the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter through animal markets, she wondered if he “pretended as if he could not understand” the subject.

“The Kerala high court had clearly observed that the new regulation doesn’t impose a complete ban on cattle slaughter and had said that there was no breach of citizen’s rights,” she said and pointed out that the Kerala Youth Congress and Mr. Stailn were “favouring the killing of cows and buffaloes.” “We can call them butchers,” Dr Tamilisai said.

Party’s national secretary and fiery speaker H. Raja claimed that Stalin’s stand on many issues since the last three months “clearly showed his inadequacy to lead the people.”

“He may support for minorities’ votes. Let him get one or two lessons on Manu Neethi Chozhan from real Tamil scholars,” Mr. Raja reacted. On the DMK working president’s warning of Marina style protest, Mr Raja said, “he will end up like another Seeman.”

“We will counter the opposition by sending Chinese delicacies like snake, frog and pork to Stalin, Seeman, E. V. K. S. Elangovan (former TNCC chief) and left party leaders desirous of eating meat, for free,” claims V. P. Vijayakumar, state vice president, Hindu Munnani.

He says a majority of the Hindus don’t eat beef and those demanding it don’t reflect the voice of the majority Hindus.