Take action against Akhlaq's kin for eating beef: Adityanath

BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that action should be taken against Mohammed Akhlaq's family for eating beef and the compensation given to the family should be taken back.

Akhlaq, a resident of Bisara village near Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, was lynched by a Hindu mob on September 28 last year for allegedly possessing and eating beef. The incident, which drew attention of international media, was widely condemned in India.

Yogi's remarks came after a report from a forensic lab in Mathura emerged, saying that the meat seized in the case was actually beef.

"It is a crime in Uttar Pradesh to slaughter cow and possess or eat its meat. Akhlaq's family has indulged in this crime. Action should be taken against them for this," the Bharatiya Janata Party MP said.

"Secondly, the compensation given to Akhlaq's family by the government should be taken back," he added.

He also asked for releasing the persons arrested by the state police for Akhlaq's murder.

An earlier report by Dadri Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Y.S. Tomar had declared the meat found in Akhlaq home was mutton and not beef.

After the Mathura lab's report came out, Tomar said he had only "visually examined" the meat and the forensic lab's report should be seen as the final report.

However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav raised questions about the relevance of the report, saying nothing objectionable was found in Akhlaq's home.

"From where was this meat sample collected? As you may recall, nothing objectionable was found in Akhlaq's household or his fridge. Everyone wants justice in this case, the family (Akhlaq's) deserves justice as one of their members has been murdered," the chief minister said.

"What one eats, what one wears, what language one speaks...I think we should keep away from such unnecessary controversies," he added.

Akhlaq's brother Jaan Mohammed questioned the veracity of the report, saying that the meat sample in question was not collected from their family fridge.

"The meat sample was not collected from our fridge. The police collected it from outside, and it is possible that somebody planted that meat there to politicise the issue," Mohammed said.

He said the latest report was not "above doubt" as it may be a tactic to divert attention from the issue of Akhlaq's murder.

--IANS

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