Beef eating: What has Assam CM said ahead of Assembly polls on public vs private consumption?

Assam votes on Thursday (April 9), but the campaign has turned sharply to a familiar flashpoint: beef consumption, after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma restated his position days before polling.

Sarma clarified he is not seeking a blanket ban, but wants consumption restricted to private spaces. “There is a big Muslim community in Assam who consume beef. I am not stopping this. I am only saying, eat it inside your home. Don’t eat it in a public space,” he told reporters.

He underlined that consumption should not take place in public areas or within a 5 km radius of temples and sattras, in line with existing law. The Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021 — which replaced a 1950 law — regulates slaughter, transport and sale of cattle, and restricts sale and consumption of beef in public places.

Sarma also said some people have shifted to buffalo meat, adding that his appeal is directed at Hindus rather than Muslims.

Law and Guwahati Central flashpoint

The issue has fed directly into campaigning in Guwahati Central, where identity and cultural questions have dominated. The BJP’s Vijay Kumar Gupta has asserted his Assamese identity, while the opposition-backed Kunki Chowdhury is contesting her first election.

Over the weekend, Sarma alleged that Chowdhury’s parents consumed beef and shared related content online, and said action would follow after the polls under the 2021 Act. “After the election, I will take action against her parents as per the Cattle Preservation Act. I will accept everything, but not eating beef,” he said.

Chowdhury has denied the claims, calling them false and politically motivated. She has also filed a police complaint alleging circulation of AI-generated deepfake videos targeting her and her family.

Political reactions sharpen

The remarks have triggered political responses beyond the state. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at Sarma, posting: “Remove BJP, save mother cow.”

With voting due Thursday for the 126-member Assembly, the debate over beef consumption has become a central campaign issue, intersecting with legal limits, religious sensitivities and electoral messaging.