Security stepped up at Kerala House amid rumours of beef fest

Security at Kerala House on Jantar Mantar road here was ramped up following reports of Nationalist Congress Party planning a 'beef festival' there in the evening.
Delhi Police said it received information from Kerala House officials about the matter and security was stepped up as a precautionary measure. As many as 300 police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
"Officials at Kerala House told us they received unverified information that some people belonging to a political party were planning a beef festival there at 6.30 pm. So, we deployed police personnel to handle them," said Deputy Commissioner of Police B K Singh.

Police sources, however, said it appeared to be a rumour.
NCP MP D P Tripathi said the media report was "baseless".
Kerala House Resident Commissioner Vishwas Mehta said there were rumours of a beef party outside Kerala House and the police were informed considering the current scenario.

Last week, a "cow vigilante" group, claiming to be belonging to the Bharatiya Gauraksha Kranti, allegedly barged into Kerala House to protest the beef festivals recently held in the southern state.
Mehta had sought more security for the state guest house to protect it from "groups with vested interests who could create trouble over the ongoing beef controversy".

Two years ago, Kerala House was mired in a controversy after Delhi Police raided its canteen on receiving a complaint that it served beef.
However, the Kerala government and the canteen authorities had denied the charge, saying it was buffalo meat.