Cabinet reshuffle: Alphons Kannanthanam says Kerala will continue to be beef-eating state

New Delhi: The BJP has no plans to impose a food code or food emergency in any state including Kerala, new tourism minister Alphons Kannanthanam said on Monday.

“It is absolutely untrue. Kerala is a beef-eating state. It is not going to stop eating beef. It will continue to eat beef. BJP doesn’t have a problem,” Alphons told NDTV after assuming his charge of the tourism ministry. [caption id=“attachment_4003607” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Alphons Kannanthanam. PTI[/caption] He said that in Goa, which is also ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the chief minister had made clear that the state would continue to eat beef. “I am sure there is a lot of propaganda. They said churches would be demolished and mosques will be burnt if BJP comes to power but nothing like that happened. (Narendra) Modi as prime minister said ‘I will take care of you all. I will protect you’,” Alphons said in reply to questions. The only Christian to be part of the NDA government, the former IAS officer said that he would be a bridge between the prime minister and the Christian community. He said Christianity came to Kerala much before it came to other parts of the world. Christians are part of India and the prime minister probably thought of having a Christian as part of his ministry. “I would be a bridge between the prime minister and the Christian community. The prime minister has talked of the development of all sections of the community,” he said in reply to a question whether the prime minister was reaching out to the Christian community by inducting him into the council of ministers.