Amid incidents of mob-lynching on the rise, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA M Lobo stood in the Goa Assembly speaking over beef shortage and cow vigilantes being responsible for the same. He said that the BJP-led coalition government failed the beef-eating population in Goa, and that cow vigilantes were not dealt effectively.
Speaking in the Assembly, Lobo questioned the minister as to when the Goa meat complex will begin functioning as the state’s tourism was also suffering because of the decrease in supply of beef. He further said that he would want to know if there will be an interference from so called ‘gau rakshaks’.
Some so called cow protectors are standing at the state border&blocking entry for beef being brought to Goa. Goa meat complex is shut. We’ve failed on this front. There are many meat eaters in Goa. Tourists come here to eat beef. There is shortage of beef: BJP MLA M Lobo (25.07) pic.twitter.com/anH684FVjx
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2018
The daily local demand for beef in Goa, which has a large meat-eating Christian population, is about 25 tonnes to 30 tonnes. This demand is now fulfilled mainly by meat transported from neighbouring Karnataka. Beef traders have repeatedly gone on strikes over the year, saying their vehicles are being stopped by cow vigilante groups.
Also read: Maharashtra: Mob allegedly attacks gau rakshaks in Ahmednagar
Earlier on Wednesday, former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane told the state Assembly that India treats its cows worse than countries that consume beef. “We may love cows, but it is still the worst-treated animal in India,” he said. “Our cows are just cast off, forced to eat garbage and plastic and fall victim to road accidents.”