Kerala Bhawan Controversy: BJP Says Police Acting 'Within Its Rights'

NEW DELHI: With controversy arising out of the Delhi Police making “inquiries” into the reported beef being served in the Kerala state bhawan in Delhi, the BJP defended the move saying police was acting within its rights.

The BJP hit out at the other political opponents for creating a needless controversy. As the issue is likely to be again raised during the ongoing Bihar elections, party distanced itself from the actions of the fringe groups. Senior BJP leader and UD minister Venkaiah Naidu dismissed allegations leveled by Congress and other parties that police action amounted to attack on federal structure.

“How federal structure was being harmed ? Someone wanted to create a mischief, the police went to inquire there and returned. In the past also, the same person had created a mischief, police was taking precaution,” Naidu said during the press conference at the BJP headquarters. Naidu also rejected Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's remark that the police action was an attack on federal structure. He even took a swipe at Kejriwal who said would write to PM on the issue.  “He is writing as he has nothing else to do or write,” Naidu said.

The BJP also accused Kerala CM Oommen Chandy of trying to politicise the issue and said serving of beef in restaurants in Delhi was illegal.. "The police action was right and was a preventive measure within the law of land. Chandy is trying to politicise the incident," BJP spokesman Siddharnath Nath Singh said. BJP leaders tried to dissociate their party from the actions of the hindu fringe groups saying it had nothing to do with them. “We have no objection as to what one eats or not,” a senior leader said.

The controversy surrounding actions of fringe elements on beef had been giving bad press to the government. The party and the government was trying to bring focus on the governance, so that these controversies does not derail its development agenda.  However, it cannot also ignore this core Hindutva issue lest it should not harm its support base.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com