Congress-ruled Karnataka toes Rahul Gandhi's line, disallows beef fest

BENGALURU: Close on the heels of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's denouncement of slaughtering of a calf in Kerala, the Karnataka government today used police force to stop a "beef fest" organised by a students' unions to protest against the Centre ban on trade of cattle for slaughter here today.

In a tweet yesterday night, Gandhi had condemned the slaughtering of cow in public, which resulted in Kerala unit of the Congress suspending three of its workers.

"What happened in Kerala is thoughtless, barbaric and completely unacceptable to me and Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident," Gandhi had tweeted.

The Left-affiliated SFI had sought police permission for a protest against the central government for ordering a ban on the trade of cattle, including buffaloes, cows and camels, for slaughter.

The police, however, did not give permission, though there is no ban on cow slaughter in the Congress-rule state.

Tension grew between saffron activists including Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) and Left-leaning protestors, as both the groups had assembled outside the Town Hall at the same time, which resulted in a minor scuffle, police said.

The police soon swung into action and detained the culprits.

Similar 'beef fests' were held in Kerala and in Tamil Nadu's Chennai yesterday.

Despite not having a ban on cow slaughter, the local police registered a case after BJP's complaint under the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.