NPP cabinet minister Marcuise N Marak has criticised Assam’s decision to ban public consumption of beef stating that such a move should not be accepted in any states of the country.
He said the restriction is depriving people of their fundamental rights. “We live in a democratic country and we are free to eat anything because food habit is a right of every invdividual,” Marak said.
He also reiterated the fundamental right to free speech, affirming that everyone has the liberty to express their opinions without any restrictions.
Consumption of beef is not illegal in Assam, but The Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, bans cattle slaughter and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in a majority and in areas within a five-km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery). The Assam government has extended to include hotels, restaurants, and public spaces state-wide putting a total ban on the public consumption of beef.
