Cow politics: Bajrang Dal protest outside Guj Cong office

The public slaughtering of a calf in Kerala allegedly by some Youth Congress activists against the Centre's move to ban trade of cattle for slaughter at animal markets found its echo in Gujarat today, with Bajrang Dal activists holding a protest outside the party headquarters here.

Demanding an apology from the Congress over the incident, the activists protested at the Gujarat Congress' head office in Ellisbridge area.

Bajrang Dal leader Jwalit Mehta claimed they stormed the office in the wee hours today and "locked it".

"Apart from locking the office at 3.30 AM, Bajrang Dal activists put up anti-Congress banners and also spray painted the compound wall of the office with the slogan 'Gau Hatyari Congress' (Cow Killer Congress)," he said.

The Congress has termed the incident as an attempt by the ruling BJP to politicise the cattle ban issue ahead of the state Assembly polls, due later this year.

"To register our protest against the brutal act of slaughtering a calf in full public view by Congress workers in Kerala, around 10 Bajrang Dal workers stormed the office of Congress in early morning. We locked the office temporarily and put banners," Mehta claimed.

After learning about the incident, the leaders of the Congress rushed to the spot and informed the police, said Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi.

"Several Bajrang Dal workers stormed the office at around 3:30 AM and started raising slogans against the party. They also tried to lock the office. When the security guards present at the Congress office confronted them, they went away after issuing a threat. We are mulling to lodge a police complaint in this regard," said Doshi.

He alleged Bajrang Dal leaders acted at the behest of the BJP, "which is trying to politicise the issue ahead of the polls. Instead of doing this, BJP needs to do something concrete to save cows."

In a controversial notification, the Central government has proposed to ban sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, triggering a massive political storm with the chief ministers of West Bengal and Kerala opposing the move.

Amid protests in the Left-ruled Kerala, a calf was slaughtered on May 28 allegedly by workers of the youth wing of the party.

As the incident kicked off a row, the Congress on May 29 suspended its three youth workers, including Kannur Youth Congress district president, and has sought to distance the party from the incident.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)