I eat beef, party has no problem: Meghalaya BJP chief
What's the story
Meghalaya Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Ernest Mawrie said there is no restriction on eating beef in the state, and he eats it too, adding that the party has no problem with it.
He stated that while he cannot comment on other states adopting a resolution against beef, no ban has been placed in Meghalaya, and it is a lifestyle for the people there.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Meghalaya, a Christian-majority state, where the incumbent government was formed by a coalition between the BJP and the National People's Party (NPP), goes to polls on Monday.
Most BJP-ruled states have imposed a ban on beef, stating that cows are considered sacred among Hindus, who are the country's majority.
The Opposition has often called out BJP's "double standards" for allowing beef in certain states.
Beef
No church attacked in 9 years of NDA: Mawrie
Mawrie stressed that beef was not banned across India but only in specific states.
He rebuffed allegations that the BJP is an anti-Christian party as "political propaganda," claiming that everyone in Meghalaya attends church because the state is dominated by Christians.
He said that in the nine years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruling the country, no church had been targeted or attacked.
Information
Church ransacked in Chhatisgarh's Narayanpur in January this year
At the beginning of this year, a group of vandals ransacked a church in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. They smashed idols and attacked police personnel. Around 11 people were arrested in the case, including the BJP's Narayanpur district unit chief, Rupsai Salam.
Goa
Opposition smearing BJP's image: Mawrie
Mawrie said Goa and Nagaland are also ruled by the BJP but no church has been attacked there. He accused the Opposition parties of smearing BJP's reputation.
A report by United Against Hate, Association for Protection of Civil Rights, and United Christian Forum in October 2021 recorded 305 attacks against Christians between January and September that year spanning from Uttarakhand to Karnataka—including Goa.
Election
Relations between BJP and NPP have soured
He claimed that the BJP will win in Meghalaya, saying that the people want a change. While a BJP-NPP coalition is incumbent in Meghalaya, their relations have reportedly soured.
Mawrie claimed that the NPP has been "unfaithful," and that the BJP is gaining "growing acceptance" in Meghalaya. He added it is high time that the people vote incumbent CM Conrad Sangma out.
Numbers
BJP contested 47 seats in last election, won 2
In the last election, the BJP contested 47 of the total 60 seats but won only two. This election, it's contesting all 60 seats.
Currently, the NPP holds 20 seats. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is the largest opposition party with nine seats and the United Democratic Party (UDP) has eight seats.
The People's Democratic Front (PDF) has two seats while 14 seats are vacant.