Haryana's 'Mission Biryani' triggers controversy

Police collect sample from vendors to check for beef

‘Mission Biryani’, an initiative by the Haryana Police to probe use of beef in the preparation of the delicacy has triggered a political war. Trouble broke out when the Haryana Gau Seva Aayog asked the state police to check whether street vendors in Muslim-dominated Mewat district were using beef in the preparation of biryani. The state police collected samples from restaurants and food vendors and sent it to Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, for examination.

As reports of ‘Mission Biryani’ trickled in, Congress functionary Shehzad Poonawala petitioned the National Commission for Minorities and accused the Haryana government of targeting Muslims ahead of the Eid festivities next week. Poonawala also shot off a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to direct the Haryana government to call off the “unconstitutional act of biryani policing aimed at terrorising minorities”.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury also demanded that the “obnoxious campaign with government patronage be stopped forthwith”. “It is amply clear that the RSS/BJP actually has no concern for the protection of the cow and its progeny. In Goa, the party (BJP) defends the right of the people to consume beef. In Northeast, it is in favour of beef consumption,” Yechury stated.

“But, in Haryana, clearly, this is being used to terrorise and sharpen communal polarisation with clear political and electoral considerations,” he said. Meanwhile, reports had it that Lala Lajpat Rai University had found some samples of biryani indeed containing beef. However, the police were quick to clarify it had not received any report from the university.

“We have not received any report yet. The police had collected seven samples,” Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. Human rights activists have also questioned the findings of the university.

“Is the said laboratory accredited by an accreditation body or recognised by the state government as provided in Section 12 (1) of Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act 2015,” asked Shabnam Hashmi of Left-leaning NGO, Anhad.