Assam News: In a major decision, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the state government has decided to stop serving beef in hotels, restaurants and public places in the state.
Sarma said that beef would not be served in any hotel or restaurant, or at any public function or public place.
“In Assam, we have decided that beef will not be served in any restaurant or hotel and also it will not be served in any public function or public place; so from today, we have completely decided to stop the consumption of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places,” ANI quoted Sarma as saying.
The chief minister said that earlier, the decision was to stop beef consumption near temples. "But now we have expanded it to the entire state and you will not be able to eat it at any community place, public place, hotel or restaurant," said Sarma.
"I challenge the Assam Congress to welcome the beef ban or go and settle in Pakistan," said Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika.
A few days ago, Sarma said he was ready to ban beef in Assam if state Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah wrote to him seeking it.
Responding to the allegation that the BJP distributed beef to win the Muslim-dominated Samaguri, which was under Congress control for five consecutive terms, Sarma said he was happy that the opposition party raised the matter.
"Samaguri was with Congress for 25 years. Congress losing a constituency like Samaguri by 27,000 votes (sic) is the biggest shame in its history. It is Congress's defeat more than BJP's win," he told reporters after a party meeting on Saturday.
BJP's Diplu Ranjan Sarmah defeated Congress's Tanzil, son of party MP Rakibul Hussain, by 24,501 votes in a bypoll last month.
The chief minister also sought to know if the Congress was winning Samaguri by offering beef to voters.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021 bans cattle slaughter and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in majority and within a five-km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery).
