New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday lashed out at those who have been organising beef fests and dared them to organise a 'pork festival'.
Singh termed some Chief Ministers and the Congress Party as 'traders of votes' over their opposition of the Union Government's ruling on cattle sale in the country for slaughter purpose.
He also said that in the backdrop of such appeasement acts by some Chief Ministers and the Congress was changing "tolerance into intolerance".
States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka have opposed cattle slaughter ban.
Talking to ANI in New Delhi, Singh said those (states, chief ministers) are opposing the ban on cattle slaughter are 'traders of votes' as they want to appease Muslims.
"They are traders of votes who are opposing (cattle slaughter ban), be it the chief ministers of West Bengal, Kerala or the Congress ruled state," he added.
The Union Minister mocked at the Congress and said there was a time when they had imposed ban on cow slaughter and "now they have openly slaughtered cow and organised beef fest in front of the Congress office just to appease Muslims".
Singh said that time has ended for such appeasement for the votes and such acts "are changing tolerance into intolerance".
Commenting on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's stand to oppose the cattle slaughter ban, Singh said, "Mamata should ask her inner conscience whether she trusts Indian Constitution or not. If she doesn't believe then I would later tell what to do with such persons."
When asked about the beef fest at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Madras, Singh challenged: "Does anyone have guts to organise 'pork festival' at IIT-Madras?"
He maintained that the Hindus failed to become a vote bank and that is why their sentiments don't have any value for political parties.
"Hindus have not become a vote bank and that is why political parties continue to hurt the Hindu sentiments," maintained Singh.
It was the Congress that fuelled the cattle slaughter ban protests by organising first beef fest.
The Youth Congress workers slaughtered a cow in public at a busy market in Kannur, Kerala on Sunday to oppose the Centre's ruling to prohibit sale of cattle for the slaughtering purpose.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called the ban "undemocratic and unconstitutional" and said her government will challenge it legally.
Communist Party of India CPI (M) led Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also said that the state will challenge the order legally as livestock is a state subject.
There have been protests in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states like Kerala and Karnataka against the Centre's order on the cattle sale in the county.
There have been protests in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka against the Centre's order on the cattle sale in the county.
According to the notification under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960 that gives the Centre powers over animal welfare, the committees overseeing animal markets will have to take an undertaking from traders that "animals are bought for agriculture purposes and not for slaughter".
