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Humayun Kabir on Suvendu Adhikari: In West Bengal, instructions from Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to stop the slaughter of sick and young animals, including cows, during Eid are not sitting well with extremists. Humayun Kabir, national president of AJUP and a legislator who is constructing the new Babri Mosque in Murshidabad, has issued a major threat to the Bengal government over this. Humayun Kabir said, ‘I am directly telling Suvendu Adhikari not to play with fire. If they try to ban the sacrifice, it will create problems for them. The Muslim community will not compromise on the matter of sacrifice under any circumstances.’
‘Cows will be slaughtered on Bakrid no matter what’
Humayun Kabir did not stop there. Directly challenging Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, he said, ‘Cows will be slaughtered on Bakrid, no matter what Suvendu does.’ Humayun Kabir also expressed anger over the government’s directives regarding the boycott of beef during Bakrid and the issue of namaz in West Bengal. Directly threatening the Bengal government, the AJUP national president said that if there is an attempt to interfere in religious matters, the atmosphere in the state will deteriorate. The government will be responsible for this.
AJUP and some other Muslim organizations have openly come out in support of Kabir. They said that religious freedom is a right granted by the constitution. Therefore, no community’s traditions should be banned or targeted.
‘We consider the cow a mother, this is an emotional issue’
After Humayun Kabir’s statement, the state’s politics has heated up further. BJP leaders have strongly criticized his statement, calling it provocative. Party leaders say that such language is harmful to social harmony. They have demanded action against Humayun.
Kolkata, West Bengal: On the statement of Furfura Sharif’s Pirzada Toha Siddiqui, West Bengal government minister Agnimitra Paul said, “Our state’s rules are very strict. We are not saying that the ongoing trade should be stopped, but the rules state that animals below 14 years of age cannot be slaughtered. For animals that are completely unhealthy or disabled, a certificate must be provided. After the certificate, there is no problem. Our state’s rules from 1950 are very strict. This is not the case in other states. These rules had not been implemented until now, but under our government, they will be enforced. We consider the cow a mother, so this is also an emotional issue.”
West Bengal government minister and senior BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said, ‘Our state’s rules are very strict. We are not saying that the ongoing trade should be stopped, but the rules state that animals below 14 years of age cannot be slaughtered. For animals that are completely unhealthy or disabled, a certificate must be provided. After the certificate, there is no problem. Our state’s rules from 1950 are very strict. This is not the case in other states. These rules had not been implemented until now, but under our government, they will be enforced. We consider the cow a mother, so this is also an emotional issue.’
Extremists unable to digest electoral defeat
Currently, there has been no official reaction from the state administration on the entire matter. However, security agencies are on alert ahead of Bakrid next week. They have begun apprehending people who incite tension. At the same time, people are being appealed not to fall for any rumors and to obey the law.
Political analysts say that the extremist sections, who have been flouting rules and regulations for decades, have received a severe blow from the BJP’s victory in the assembly elections. They have still not recovered from the fact that their preferred government is no longer in power in the state. That is why they are making the mistake of not following the law and threatening the government, living in their old careless ways. But they do not realize that by doing so, they are exposing themselves and the government is tightening its grip on them.
