Beef row: Chief minister vows action against relatives of AJP nominee

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday raised the issue of beef consumption while campaigning against Kunki Chowdhury (27), a key ally of Congress’ Assam Jatiya Parishad Parishad (AJP) candidate from Guwahati central seat accused her parents of consuming beef and uploaded a photo of beef on social media.“Kunki’s mother Sujata Gurung Chowdhury shared posts related to beef consumption and made remarks that hurt the sentiments of the people of ‘Sanatani’… After the elections, I will take action against Kunki’s parents under the Cow Prevention Act. I will accept everything but beef,” Sarma told reporters. Kunki has denied the allegations, calling them “false and baseless.”Sarma added, “Forget whether Kunki wins or loses…let her say her parents eat beef, she is a Sanatani Hindu and she has disowned them. If she says she’s not with her parents, then I’m with her. ““Assam has satra body chiefs. There are Kamakya temples. Which satadika will vote for her?…Will we have beef in front of Kamakya, Majuli and Bhattadrava? AJP president Luling Jyoti Gogoi should apologize,” he added.Sarma claimed that even members of the ‘Mia’ community stopped eating beef at his request and now eat buffalo meat instead. Eating beef is not illegal in Assam. However, the Assam Livestock Protection Act, 2021 prohibits the slaughter of livestock and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs have a majority and within a radius of five kilometers of religious places.