Beef party row: Meghalaya BJP leader Bernard N Marak quits

The controversy emerged as the former West Garo Hills district president of the BJP, Marak, announced that he would organise a beef party to mark the celebration of three years of Narendra Modi government at the Centre few days back.

This comes at the time when the central government issued a notification banning the sale of cows and buffaloes in the animal market, which earned criticisms from oppositions.

The announcement by the state leader of arranging a beef party made the BJP's central leadership uncomfortable, particularly when the opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Pinarayi Vijayan attacked the Modi government for interfering into people's choice of food.

Questioning his own party, Marak on Thursday, said: "I quit the party as the BJP is trying to impose their ideology on us. What's wrong if we planned to celebrate the third anniversary in our own traditional way?"

The leader who recently resigned from the party post even said to the people of the state earlier that they would bring down the prices of beef, if BJP is voted to power. 

Nalin Kohli, who is in-charge of the Meghalaya BJP unit, was quoted saying to Hindustan Times, "The BJP as a disciplined party will not tolerate any members who, for their personal political gains, digress from Modiji's agenda of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (with all, development for all)."

Another BJP leader of the state, who is the North Garo district president, Bachu C Marak, announced on Facebook about their plans to hold a beef party with 'bitchi' (the local term for rice beer).

Kohli on Wednesday said that the BJP unit in the state will take steps to oust Bachu from the party or would like to accept his resignation, though the North Garo district president is yet to resign.

The Centre recently notified a Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 that said that the member secretary of an animal market committee will have to ensure that no one brings a young animal to the slaughterhouse.

"The prime focus of the regulation is to protect the animals from cruelty and not to regulate the existing trade in cattle for slaughter houses. It is envisaged that welfare of cattle dealt in the market will be ensured and that only healthy animals are traded for agriculture purposes for the benefits of the farmers. The livestock markets are intended to become hubs for trade for animal for agriculture through this process and animal for slaughter will have to be bought from the farmers at the farms. The notified rules will remove the scope of illegal sale and smuggling of the cattle which is a major concern. The specific provisions apply only to animals which are bought and sold in the notified live stock markets and animals that are seized as case properties. These rules do not cover other areas," the central government said in a statement.

Chief Ministers of both Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee respectively, disapproved the order issued by the Centre and clearly stated that they won't approve the rules in their states.

The Kerala CM was quoted saying: "Delhi, Nagpur can't decide what we eat."

Banerjee on Monday, said: "This law is unconstitutional, undemocratic and against the federal structure. They have introduced the law in the month of Ramadan without taking the views of the state governments."

"People from all religions are living happily here in Bengal. Centre can never decide what to eat and what not," she added.