Shah 'reprimands' party leaders over beef remarks

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed Amit Shah's purported warning to party leaders as a "gimmick"

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday reprimanded Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union ministers Mahesh Sharma and Sanjeev Balyan, member of Parliament (MP) Sakshi Maharaj and Uttar Pradesh MLA Sangeet Som over their remarks on the beef row.

According to party sources, Shah asked them to not make statements on the beef row that might distract attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda. The sources added that Modi had voiced "extreme displeasure" over their actions.

A senior party leader said Shah conveyed his displeasure to Union culture minister Sharma over phone, but had "summoned" Khattar, Balyan, Maharaj and Som to his office.

He said a message has been sought to be conveyed to the entire party hierarchy that leaders should desist from making statements that might create unnecessary controversy. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed Shah's purported warning to party leaders a "gimmick".

The controversy surrounding beef consumption recently worsened with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'s Hindi mouthpiece Panchjanya published a cover story claiming the Vedas prescribe killing of people who kill cows.

However, Sharma and Maharaj denied the party president cautioned them about their statements on the beef controversy. Asked whether Shah had warned them over remarks on beef issue, Sharma said: "There is nothing like this. I have no such information." Maharaj claimed he met Shah over issues related to his constituency Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.

"No explanation was sought from me and nor have I given any," he said. Maharaj added he didn't justify the Dadri killing when he had said every action has a reaction. "A murder is a murder," he said. Som said they were party workers and had come to meet the BJP chief over issues related to the party. "We are workers of the party and had come to meet our national president. So discussions must be relating to party only."

The write-up in the RSS mouthpiece said the Dadri killing over beef consumption rumours could not have been "without reason". "The Vedas order killing of anyone who slaughters the cow. Cow slaughter is a big issue for the Hindu community. For many of us, it's a question of life and death."

Panchjanya editor Hitesh Shankar said the views expressed in the article were that of its author. "These are not editorial views. I don't recollect any write-up justifying (Mohammed) Iqlakh's killing." The article has also called for a probe into the credentials of writers returning the Sahitya Akademi and other awards, and has accused their "anguish of being laced with clear political bias".

On Saturday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had termed the Dadri incident a "shame". SAD MP Naresh Gujral had said: "What happened after the lynching incident in UP is damaging the NDA (National Democratic Alliance), the BJP and damaging the Prime Minister more than anybody else."

He deplored that 'motormouths' were not paying heed to even Modi and that no action was being taken against them.

"It is high time some action was taken against anybody so that a strong message goes all the way in Sangh Parivar that this kind of nonsense will not be tolerated," he had said.