Shillong: Newly inducted BJP minister in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, Sanbor Shullai has sought to allay ‘misconception’ among the people vis-à-vis the saffron party’s stand on beef eating, saying that there were “political propaganda” against his party.
“Instead of pork and mutton, people should eat more beef. I encourage people to eat more beef
than chicken, mutton or fish,” Shullai, who is one of the two elected State assembly members from the BJP, said.
The BJP legislator, who recently recently took oath as a minister in place of senior BJP legislator Alexander Laloo Hek, who was serving as the health minister said that everybody was free to eat whatever they eat in a democratic country.
“There was a misunderstanding that there is BJP propaganda to ban slaughter of cattle,” he said, adding that “In democratic country, everybody is free to eat. Snake also they eat, there is no restriction and even dogs too.”
Asked why is he encouraging people to eat beef, Shullai said, “Because it will subside that wrong information in the mind of the people that BJP will impose ban on cow slaughter”.
On the controversial Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, tabled in the Assam Assembly, Shullai said he would soon talk with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to ensure that transportation of cattle to Meghalaya is not affected.
The Bill, which aims to stop transportation or use the state for transporting cattle, has posed
trouble for the Christian-majority neighbouring states like Meghalaya where beef is a staple diet.
Shullai said that his department would issue permits for vehicles transporting cattle from various parts of the country to Meghalaya if required.
The BJP leader also said that work was on to ensure that his party got “absolute majority
33-34 MLAs to form our own government” during the next State elections, and cited the case of Nagaland.
"@We will get lots of benefits like what you have seen in the other NE states ruled by BJP
- milk and honey as they are getting lots and different kinds of schemes – students
scholarships. I was very surprised of the wisdom of the electorate of Nagaland specially the
youths – all educated – a state having 90 percent Christians we won 13 MLAs and Deputy
Chief Minister is BJP,” he pointed out.
“Students in Nagaland are enjoying big amount of scholarship, the development – this is example to the electorate of Meghalaya state that if you go to the village, after 70 years of Congress ruling, this is first government with plenty of schemes. I also send this message let us not listen to the political propaganda against the BJP, think for your stomach – people should remember everybody love flower – They need to remember to push the button of the flower symbol in the next election, if they give BJP at least 33 will form our own government you will see that time milk and honey will come and Meghalaya will change,” Shullai said.
On the growing demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit in Meghalaya, the newly sworn-in minister said. “ILP will get in five minutes. We will try if we have our own full fledged BJP government we will get ILP in 5 minutes.”(UNI)
