Congress suspends four as calf killing sparks outrage
new delhi — The youth wing of India’s main opposition Congress party caused outrage on Monday after killing a calf in public to protest against a controversial ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter.
Members of the Youth Congress were filmed slaughtering the animal — officials refused to say if it was a cow or an ox — and shouting antigovernment slogans in Kerala. Police in Kerala accused the youths of “causing a public nuisance”.
“We are investigating. It is a sensitive issue,” a police officer said without giving details.
The Congress Party, the main opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, swiftly condemned the inflammatory protest in Kerala and suspended four members for thei involvement.
“What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric and completely unacceptable to me and the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident,” Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi posted on Twitter. The BJP seized upon the scandal as the slaughter video went viral. “Cruelty at its peak. Cattle slaughtering by Kerala Youth Congress leader in broad daylight, in front of public gathering,” tweeted Kerala BJP chief Kummanam Rajashekharan.
Deputy police superintendent PP Sadanandan said a case had been registered against the protesters “because the slaughter of animals in public places is illegal”. The protesters were demonstrating against a federal ban issued last week by the ruling BJP on the sale and purchase of cattle from markets for slaughter.
Kerala has already vowed to challenge the ruling in court.
A senior BJP leader in Meghalaya also said the ban would not be enforced in the northeast state. —