Public Consumption of Beef Totally Banned in Assam: Himanta

In a major decision aimed at strengthening the existing Cattle Preservation Act, the Assam Cabinet on Monday announced a complete prohibition on the public consumption of beef across the state. This includes a ban on serving beef at hotels, restaurants, and social gatherings.

This was announced by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while addressing the media virtually from Delhi following the cabinet meeting earlier today.

According to CM Sarma's announcement, serving beef in hotels, restaurants, and social gatherings across the state has been prohibited starting today. He highlighted that the cabinet analyzed statements made by Congress leaders Bhupen Borah and Rakibul Hussain during the deliberations. 

Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Today, in the cabinet meeting, we thoroughly analyzed the statements made by Congress leaders Bhupen Borah and Rakibul Hussain. We found that the anti-cow Slaughter Act is very powerful, but misses out on one provision. The provision is whether beef can be served during community festivals, or as a dish in hotels and restaurants.”

“The cabinet today decided that no hotel or restaurant in Assam can serve beef from now on. Along with that, in social gatherings too, beef cannot be served. This means that public consumption of beef has been prohibited from today onwards. We will incorporate this new provision into the act soon,” added the Chief Minister.

Sarma emphasized that the new provision aligns with the government's primary objective of preventing cattle slaughter in the state. He also expressed optimism about gaining bipartisan support for the decision.

“What Bhupen Borah and Rakibul Hussain wanted will be fulfilled now. Therefore, we hope that the Congress will support us in this decision,” CM Sarma added.