Rajnath wants Bangladeshis to give up beef
Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday sought a complete halt to smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh through the West Bengal border so that people in the neighbouring country give up eating beef.
“I am told prices of beef in Bangladesh have gone up by 30 per cent recently due to increased vigil by BSF against cattle smuggling,” Mr Singh told Border Security Force jawans at Angrail Indo- Bangla border in Bangaon.
He instructed the BSF jawans to further intensify their vigil on the border. “Try to stop smuggling completely and the prices of beef in Bangladesh will rise 70 to 80 per cent more so that people of Bangladesh give up eating beef,” he said, adding that New Delhi had very cordial relations with Dhaka and it would like to further strengthen its relations with the neighbouring country.
Later Mr Singh informed the mediapersons that the Centre had constituted a committee a few months ago to check smuggling of cattle, drugs and fake Indian currency notes ( FICN).
“The committee has almost completed its work and will submit its report in the next 15- 20 days on how to check smuggling of cattle, drugs and FICN so that we can be more successful in ensuring security at the border,” he added.
Mr Singh said that he would also speak to chief ministers of state from where cattle were being transported to border for smuggling into Bangladesh. Significantly, Mr Singh refused to react to the chief minister’s charge that his visit to the border enclaves in Cooch Behar violated the spirit of federalism.
In fact, he said that he considered Ms Banerjee a friend and deeply respected her. Later Mr Singh also visited BSF posts in the Sunderbans.