Antony questions PM's silence on Kerala House beef controversy

Former defence minister and senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the recent beef controversy at the Kerala House in New Delhi, and said the Centre needed to do something urgently to restrict divisive forces.

"Eat what they decide and speak what they say. No one should oppose them, that is the situation today especially in North India. Mainly Keralites are targeted, they are living in fear there (North India). Why is the Government or the Prime Minister not restricting these forces? Why is he not speaking out?" asked Antony.

Antony also maintained that the Bharatiya Janata Party will end up in third position in the November 2 civic elections in Kerala.

"The BJP won't get even a single vote in Kerala and the winning trophy will be won by Congressed UDF," he added.

Nearly 20 police officials had gone to Kerala House earlier this week after Vishnu Gupta, a Hindu Sena leader, called and complained that the canteen at the state guest house was serving beef.

However Kerala House said they served only buffalo meat and had named it 'beef'.

Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy criticised the Delhi Police, saying it was a government establishment they had barged into and not some 'private' hotel.

Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi defended the raid on Kerala House, saying they had done nothing illegal and were well within their rights under the Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act 1994 to investigate.