Even as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the media in Delhi that members of the BJP were to avoid provocative statements, Hyderabad BJP MLA Raja Singh has upped the ante ahead of the beef fest that is being planned by Osmania University students on the college campus.
"No one should hurt religious sentiments and we have every right to stop it. I want to tell the organizers that Dadri should not repeat in Telangana and we are ready for it. We are ready to kill or get killed to protect the cow," he said.
This comes a day after a group of students from Osmania University lodged a complaint against the Goshamahal BJP MLA alleging that he was trying to disrupt public peace by making provocative comments against the proposed beef fest to be held on December 10.
The student representatives lodged a complaint after the legislator gave a memorandum to the in-charge vice-chancellor of the university demanding cancellation of the beef festival.
Earlier in the day, Naqvi said “MPs were told to speak with understanding and decorum. There is a need to avoid controversy... At a time when the Prime Minister is pushing ahead with his development agenda, many people are unable to digest it and any misstep will allow anti-BJP forces to work it to their benefit. We should avoid making provocative statements.”
The students have made it clear that only buffalo and bullock meat would be served at the beef festival, but claimed that the BJP legislator was still trying to instigate students via social media.
Even BJP state unit president Kishan Reddy has distanced himself from Raja Singh's remarks and said "You can eat whatever you want. The BJP or the Modi government will not interfere with it. Don’t take the opposition of a few people in this matter seriously."
Raja Singh also went on to say "I am Hindu first and it is my duty to protect the cow...I'm not worried whether the party is going to support me or not."
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