Another Meghalaya BJP leader Bachu Marak resigns over cattle slaughter ban

Bernard Marak had said that there were few leaders in the party who were not happy with the Centre's ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter as beef is a part of their culture.

Written by: Chanchal Chauhan

Published: June 6, 2017, 11:36 AM IST

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Meghalaya, June 6: Another BJP leader from Meghalaya Bachu Marak resigned from the BJP after district president of Garo Hills in Meghalaya Bernard Marak quit the party over the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter. Bachu Marak resigned from the party saying that beef eating is a “part of our culture, tradition.”

Bernard Marak had announced a beef party to celebrate the three years of Narendra Modi government. Insisting that his resignation is to protest the BJP’s stand on beef. “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?” Bernard N Marak said.

“In the interest of the Garo people, I have put in my papers today as a mark of protest against the party’s stand on beef,” Marak told PTI. “I have resigned because I am a Christian and a Garo first. Steps taken by the party, especially in the Garo Hills are not in the interest of the people,” Marak said. Marak had posted a message on Facebook in which he announced a “bitchy-beef party” in the district.

“Tribal people in the northeastern states have our own style of celebrating and feasting… In Garo Hills, a cow is slaughtered on a festive occasion. Therefore, we wanted to organise a bitchi-beef party to celebrate three years of Modi government but the party leaders are against it,” Marak said.

Bernard Marak had said that there were few leaders in the party who were not happy with the Centre’s ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter as beef is a part of their culture and tradition. BJP state Vice President John Antonius Lyngdoh told PTI: “Most party leaders in Meghalaya are not happy with the new rules which are directly affecting the socio-economic status of the people.”

On May 26, the Ministry of Environment and Forests rolled out new rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and banned the sale of cows to slaughterhouses across India except for most parts of north-east India and Kerala.