Man lynched in Alwar; beef traders in Bengal alarmed

The lynching of Pehlu Khan by gau rakshaks in Alwar district of Rajasthan on Wednesday has met with widespread criticism, including members of BJP's Cow Development Cell, even as beef dealers in Bengal viewed it as a foreboding of things to come.

Dr SK Mittal, National Co-Convenor of Cow Development Cell told DNA that it was a condemnable act. "We don't support it at all. Section 43 of the CrPC empowers us to stop a vehicle and check it, but under no circumstances can anyone take law in their own hands. These cow vigilantes are causing more trouble than good. They should be arrested by police and prosecuted," Dr Mittal said.

In Bengal, beef dealers have started renewing licences which had been pending. "The licence needs to be renewed every year in the month of March. In UP, the Akhilesh Yadav government gave traders a free hand assuring all help even if they didn't renew licences. As a result many defaulted and as soon as the BJP government came to power they came down heavily on those who had been technically rendered 'illegal'. We don't want that to happen in Bengal. Business conditions are conducive here at present but who knows what happens in future. My licence was not renewed for the last three years but I was doing business without any trouble. Now I have applied for a renewal," said a beef dealer in Kolkata.

BENGAL BEEF TRADE

98,000 kg beef consumed in Kolkata daily

160 kg Average yield of meat  per cow

300 Number of cows slaughtered at Tangra Slaughter house

300 cows and oxes slaughtered  illegally