Rijiju calls Naqvi's remark on beef eating 'unpalatable'

In a snub to his ministerial colleague Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who had stated that those who insist on eating beef should go to Pakistan as cow slaughter hurts the sentiments of Hindus, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said the minority affairs minister’s statements were "not palatable".

Indian Express quoted Rijiju as saying: "I eat beef, I'm from Arunachal Pradesh, can somebody stop me? Let us not be touchy about somebody’s practices. This is a democratic country." He said this during a visit to Aizawl on Tuesday.

"This country is a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-communal country. We must respect each other’s practices. There cannot be any force on anybody about your practices, your faith. So if anybody makes a statement which is forcing or imposing your belief, your faith, your practices on another community, another believer, it is not good,” Rijiju said.

"If Maharashtra is a Hindu majority state and if they want to make laws which are conducive to the Hindu faith, let them be. But in our place, in northeastern states, a majority of people eat beef. So, they also should not have a problem with the way we live. We have to honour the sentiments of each place and each location," Rijiju said.

Naqvi had last week said, "Those who cannot survive without eating beef, should go to Pakistan." Speaking to India Today channel, he said, "If a certain section is dying because they can't sell or eat beef then this is not the country for them. Let them go to Pakistan or an Arab nation."

However, Rijiju also said Naqvi was using his freedom of speech and expression.