Thiruvananthapuram: Youth Congress workers in Kerala, who slaughtered a calf in public over the weekend to protest the federal government’s ban on beef consumption, are facing court cases as well as action from the party.
The incident happened in Kannur last week, a day after the federal government announced stringent measures against those who consumed beef and other meat of other cattle, including camel.
Three Youth Congress leaders — its parliamentary constituency president Rijil Makutty, state general secretary Joshy Kandathil and local leader Sharafuddin — have been suspended from the party. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president M.M. Hassan confirmed their suspension on Monday.
Police have registered a case against the Youth Congress workers.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and a number of state Congress leaders had also condemned the public slaughter of the animal. They said the act only helped the cause of the Bharatiya Janata Party and others who were trying to impose a beef ban in the country.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and former chief minister Oommen Chandy also criticised the public slaughter of a calf by Youth Congress men.
Leaders from different political parties in Kerala condemned the move to impose a beef ban, and several organisations held beef festivals in the state, distributing beef to passers-by to show their displeasure over the new proposal.
State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the federal government had no right to decide the eating habits of Keralites. Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Kerala would consider legislation if necessary to ensure that the ban was not implemented in the state.
