BJP lauds itself over cattle slaughter ban; says it will curb smuggling to Bangladesh

Shillong: The BJP in Meghalaya said that the latest ban on sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets will curb its smuggling to Bangladesh. “There is a massive cattle smuggling racket in the state which has skyrocketed the price of beef,” state BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh said. [caption id=“attachment_3489855” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Meanwhile, the media unit of the party has also petitioned BJP leader Nalin Kohli to allay fears and sentiments of the indigenous tribals who solely depend on beef as their source of dietary protein. “The matter related to cattle and cattle slaughtering has cropped up again and people are scared if their food habits will be disturbed,” state BJP vice-president and spokesperson JA Lyngdoh said. “We have taken a note of the issue and also requested party leader Nalin Kohli to take up the matter with the Centre to allay fears,” he said. He said that the Centre’s notification in this regard is to curb the menace and increase cattle farming at a time when the state is heading towards organic farming. Over 8,000 cattle have been seized in the state in the last five years along the Indo-Bangladesh border, Opposition Hills State Peoples Democratic Party legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit had told the Assembly earlier this year, and had called for a joint effort by the state as well as the central agencies to stop smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.