In a fresh assault on the Narendra Modi government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that the Centre was planning to keep buffaloes out of the purview of its cattle slaughter ban order in the interest of "some people close to the BJP" involved in the meat trade.
Addressing a public meeting in Tarakeshwar of Hooghly district, she also held the BJP responsible for cow vigilantism.
"Now the centre is planning to allow slaughter of buffaloes. They are allowing it because some of their party men are close to those involved in the buffalo meat trade. So to protect these people, they are planning to exempt buffalo from the cattle slaughter ban list," she said.
Banerjee charged the BJP with efforts to control "even people's food habits".
"Who are they to decide what people will eat? Who are they to control people's dressing habits?" she asked.