I like eating cattle meat, it’s my right: Siddaramaiah

He also said that many of his party colleagues were wary of taking a stand fearing a backlash

Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday said that he liked eating cattle meat and that it was his right, while accusing his own partymen of lacking the courage to speak out.

“I had once said in the Assembly that I eat cattle meat. Who is anybody to ask? Food habits are my right. If you don’t eat, don’t. I eat because I like it. Does one need the courage to say this,” Siddaramaiah said at the Congress’ foundation day event.

He said that many of his party colleagues were wary of taking a stand fearing a backlash.

“Our people keep quiet because someone else would say it anyway. They’re scared to express themselves. We should come out of this confusion,” the former chief minister said that referring to the BJP government’s anti-cow slaughter bill, which could virtually end consumption of cow meat.

“Farmers worship cows as gaumata. But where will they send aged cows and buffaloes? It needs Rs 100 per day to take care of them. Who will give this money,” he asked.

In 2017, when he was chief minister, Siddaramaiah had courted controversy for visiting Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara temple in Dharmasthala after consuming a meal of fish fry and country chicken.