JOIN US Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar has stoked a controversy with his statement that Muslims can stay in India but they will have to give up eating beef.
“Muslim rahein, magar is desh mein beef khaana chhodna hi hoga unko. Yahan ki manyata hai gau (Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef. The cow is an article of faith here),” Khattar was quoted as saying in an interview to an English daily.
“They can be Muslim even after they stop eating beef, can’t they? It is written nowhere that Muslims have to eat beef, nor is it written anywhere in Christianity that they have to eat beef,” he further added.
In the interview, Khattar said the cow, the Bhagavad Gita and Saraswati Vandana were articles of faith for the majority community in the country, and that Muslims would not be violating their religious beliefs by giving up eating beef.
Dadri lynching
Khattar went on to add further damage when he said that the Dadri incident was the outcome of a misunderstanding. He said “both sides” have committed mistakes. The English daily quoted him saying, “It should not have happened from both sides.”
Khattar claimed that the victim made a “halki tippani” (loose comment) about the cow which hurt the sentiments of people who subsequently attacked him.
On Friday, Khattar denied having made such statements and said his words and sentiments have been distorted. “However, if anyone or any community feels hurt, I regret the same,” the chief minister said.