Meghalaya BJP demands central probe into cattle smuggling

The Meghalaya BJP unit on Friday demanded a central inquiry into smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.

Butchers and cattle traders under the banner of Khasi Jaintia Butchers Welfare Association have stopped selling beef since January 18 to protest against the unabated cattle smuggling into Bangladesh. The protest will continue until February 3.

"We are also concerned with the smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh as this has affected our local butchers and traders. The Border Security Force and the Meghalaya police have failed to tackle this crime," BJP President Shibun Lyngdoh told journalists.

Border Security Force (BSF) figures revealed that in 2015 alone, at least 2,079 cows worth nearly Rs.3 crore were seized. Also, 18 cow smugglers were arrested along the India-Bangladesh border in the state.

Cow smuggling to Bangladesh has been going on for decades along the border in Meghalaya with illegal cattle traders from Bangladesh and those from Assam and Meghalaya making huge profits.

Meghalaya shares a 443 km border with Bangladesh, part of which is porous, hilly and unfenced and prone to frequent infiltration.