GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday broached the issue of beef consumption into his election campaign against Kunki Chowdhury (27), the candidate of Congress’ key ally Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) from Guwahati Central seat, accusing her parents of consuming beef and uploading a photo of it on social media.“Kunki’s mother, Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, had shared posts related to beef consumption and made remarks hurting the sentiments of ‘Sanatani’ people… After the election, I will act against Kunki’s parents under Cattle Prevention Act. I will accept everything, but not beef eating,” Sarma told reporters. Kunki denied the allegations, calling them “fake and baseless”.Sarma added, “Forget whether Kunki wins or loses… Let her say that her parents eat beef, she is a Sanatani Hindu, and she has disowned them. If she says she is not with her parents, then I am with her.”“There are satradhikars (heads of satra institutions) in Assam. There is Kamakhya temple. Which satradhikar will vote for her?.. Will we eat beef in front of Kamakhya, Majuli, and Batadrava? AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi should apologise,” he added.Sarma claimed that even members of the “Miya” community had stopped consuming beef at his request and now eat buffalo meat instead. Beef consumption is not illegal in Assam. However, Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, bans cattle slaughter and the sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs are in the majority, and within a five-km radius of religious places.
