CPI(M) criticizes J&K HC beef ban directive

SRINAGAR: CPI(M) today criticized the Jammu and Kashmir High Court's directive banning beef in the state, saying the order was "devoid of any regard for sensitivities of the people".

"There should be a freedom to eat what one wants and people allowed to make their own choices about food. Nobody should discount the perilous social impact of meddling with the food habits and preferences in a multi-religious society," a CPI(M) statement said here.

The party said the order further reinforced a "colonial-era" law banning the sale of beef. "It is devoid of any regard for sensitivities of the people of the state," it added.

"It is no secret that rabid communal forces...are encouraging such tendencies to divide people," it said and called the state government for effectively contesting the ruling.