Beef fest sparks verbal row

Hyderabad: Despite Osmania University students making it clear that only buffalo and bullock meat (not cow) would be served at the beef festival on December 10 in the campus, BJP’s Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh has declared ‘war’ on the festival organisers. The MLA has allegedly threatened to disrupt the festival, calling for a march to the OU campus on the day.

However, BJP state president G. Kishan Reddy has made it clear that he will not oppose people’s right to choose their food.

OU students have alleged that despite knowing that there is no cow slaughter on the campus, the MLA has been trying to instigate hatred for political mileage.

Representatives of 25 student organisations have lodged a complaint against Mr Raja Singh for hate speech and criminal intimidation. The students have alleged that Mr Singh has posted his photo with a sword on his Twitter handle and Facebook page asking people to go to the OU campus on December 10 to disrupt the beef festival.

The OU police has sought legal opinion on the complaint, police officials said.

The students have also met Telangana Assembly Speaker Madhusudhana Chary to demand the suspension of Mr Singh for communalising the issue.

“Being an MLA, Raja Singh should not use provocative language and intimidate students. We are not doing anything illegal. We are aware that cow slaughter is prohibited in Telangana. But the meat of buffaloes and bullocks or any other beast of burden is not prohibited. We will be buying beef legally and serving it in the campus. When Kishan Reddy said he did not have any objection, why is Raja Singh objecting?” asked E. Arunank, the TS general secretary, of Democratic Students Union.

Earlier, addressing a public gathering in the city, BJP president Kishan Reddy said that the Modi government would not interfere with people’s right to choose food. “You can eat whatever you want. The BJP or the Modi government will not interfere with it. Don’t take the opposition of a few people in this matter seriously,” he had said.

Mr Raja Singh shared Mr Reddy’s speech on his Facebook wall and wrote: “Very sad to hear that Kishan Reddy is supporting beef eating. He says he has no objection about eating beef.” Mr Singh also met OU V-C Ranjeev R. Acharya on Monday and demanded that the festival be stopped. He said that consuming beef on the campus would hurt the sentiments of Hindus. Addressing the media, he said that the government should not allow a Dadri-like incident in Telangana by allowing the beef festival.