Guwahati: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed regret over remarks by Prahar Janashakti Party MLA Bachchu Kadu linking dog meat with Assam. The chief minister while replying to a question over the controversy at a function, expressed regret over the MLA's statement and promised to withdraw MLA Bachchu Kadu's remarks linking dog with the north-eastern state.
MLA Bachchu Kadu, whose party, the Prahar Janashakti Party is an ally in the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra has kicked up a row with his comments. Kadu while speaking on the floor of the Maharashtra assembly recently said that the street dogs in Maharashtra should be sent to Assam where there was high demand for them.
"People of Assam eat dog meat. Send street dogs to Assam to control the dog population in Maharashtra. There is a demand for dog meat in Assam," he told the Assembly. Kadu's controversial statement kicked up a row especially in Assam where the ruling BJP was left red-faced as the comments came from a state where the BJP is part of the coalition government led by Eknath Shinde.
The controversy dominated on the inaugural day of the Assam assembly session with the opposition vehemently raising the issue in the house. In the midst of the Governor's speech, the opposition raised the issue and created a ruckus in the House. The governor was forced to wrap up his speech midway by delivering a 17-minute speech amid protest by the opposition.
Under pressure, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday wrote to his Maharashtra counterpart over the issue. In the letter to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Sarma urged him to advise the Prahar Janashakti Party MLA to withdraw the comments and make a public apology over his statement.
Sarma said that MLA had made “very derogatory remarks about the people of Assam”. “Along with the people of Assam, I am extremely dismayed and agitated by the comments of the aforesaid MLA which has exposed his prejudices and ignorance about the culture of our State. I am sure that you will fully empathise with the sentiments of the people of Assam in this matter,” he said.
