Assam MP Accuses BJP Of Holding 'Beef Party' To Woo Muslim Voters

Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain said the saffron party, which is averse to beef and had brought a law on it, has resorted to appeasement politics.

Guwahati: Ahead of the November 13 by-polls in five assembly constituencies, beef has taken centre stage in electioneering in Assam.

The ruling BJP, which had imposed a ban and regulated the sale of beef in many places of the state with the promise of extending the ban to more areas, has been accused of organising a beef party to win over a specific community in the state.

Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain said a beef party was organised by the saffron party at the Tero Mile area under the Samaguri constituency in the Nagaon district.

"Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who has repeatedly been saying that BJP does not need Muslim votes, has organised a beef party to appease the Muslim voters in the constituency," Hussain told a rally.

He also claimed to have the visuals of the alleged party and the location where it was hosted by the BJP.

"The Assam CM has repeatedly told earlier that he didn't need Muslim votes by terming the community 'machines giving birth to children'. But now he has to organise beef parties to appease them," Hussain dared the RSS to conduct an inquiry into the allegation.

"If the allegations are proven wrong, I shall resign from public life," he said.

Hussain's son Tanzila is contesting from the Samaguri constituency in a Congress ticket. Hussain has been representing the constituency in the Lok Sabha for five consecutive terms and relinquished the Samaguri assembly seat.

However, Diplu Ranjan Sarma, the BJP candidate for Samaguri, denied the allegation and said he would take political hermitage if the allegations by Hussain were proven true.

BJP legislator from Barhampur, Jitu Goswami, has already approached the Chief Election Officer of Assam, Anurag Goel, seeking action against the Hussains for making communal slurs and hurting the religious sentiments of a section of people.

Allegations of organising a beef party to woo voters by the BJP assume immense significance as the BJP-led government regulated the sale, consumption of beef and slaughter of cows through the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021. The act also regulates the transportation of cattle to stop being smuggled out to Bangladesh.