Sixteen Youth Congress activists, who slaughtered a calf in public and cooked and distributed its meat in Kannur on Saturday, have been booked by police.
Police registered a case against them under IPC Section 428 and Section (ii) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
Additionally, the Congress in Kerala on Monday suspended four members. Youth Congress leader Regil Makutty and three others were suspended by the national leadership and the state Congress followed suit, a party leader said.
CPI(M) member of Parliament MB Rajesh said:
It is a thoughtless act and it will only help Sangh Parivar outfits. It is sad that Youth Congress activists stooped so low for publicity.
On Saturday, BJP Kerala state President Kummanam Rajashekaran had tweeted a video that showed a cattle being slaughtered in public.
Politics With Minds of Butchers: BJP Kerala President
BJP's Kerala President Kummanem Rajasekhera on Sunday expressed his "deep concern" and asked if they had turned into "butchers".
“This is with deep concern that these acts conducted by these political parties are being seen as they are venting their anger against the BJP. People should be really concerned because these people are indulging in politics with the minds of ‘butchers’ and this is a dangerous trend,” Rajasekheran said in a press statement issued here.
It was shocking to see these people walking around with the head of the cattle as blood was dripping. Will anyone with any common sense indulge in this sort of activity? These acts predict a gloomy future for Kerala.Kummanem Rajasekhera, BJP’s Kerala President
Public killing of cattle have been reported from Ernakulam and Kannur districts, while across the state numerous beef festivals were held when the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Congress workers cooked beef and served it in public.
On Saturday, angry with the Central government's new rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that bans the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets, the Student Federation of India (SFI) had conducted beef festivals across Kerala.
In Kochi, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran tasted beef curry with tapioca.
Meanwhile, Youth Congress leaders in Kannur defended their act, saying that they chose to register their protest in such a manner.
Cow Vigilantism is Not a Government Programme: Venkaiah Naidu
Speaking to CNN-News18, Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister and BJP leader said that cow vigilantism is not a Central or government programme. India is a country where cows are “adored” and worshipped. Yet, he clarified:
Let’s protect cows, but in the name of protecting cows you cannot act against fellow human beings.
When asked about the narrative of cow vigilantism and how many fringe elements seem to be tarnishing the image of the government by targeting minorities, Naidu said that “nobody takes fringe elements seriously”. They are given undue attention by media which is looking for “sensationalism”, Naidu told CNN-News18.
We only focus on development. No community is being targetted. This is all inspired by vote-bank politics.Venkaiah Naidu
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that even though activists have a right to protest, the matters will be examined.
Congress Leaders Condemn the Slaughter
After Rahul Gandhi’s condemnation on Twitter, Shashi Tharoor too expressed agreement with him and regretted the attack.
Another Congress member to reject the attack was Abhishek Singhvi:
Varied Responses of Journalists and Writers
Media professional Harini Calamur used Jalikattu in her argument to talk about the “local food culture”.
Coloumnist Shefali Vidya drew attention to what she called Rahul Gandhi’s “damage control”.
Journalist Biju Govind spoke about the role of the incident in the state’s minority politics.
Author and Padma Bhushan awardee David Frawley lamented the state of things.
(With inputs from IANS, The News Minute and CNN-News18.)
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