Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ignited a fresh political row with his remarks on beef consumption ahead of voting for the Assembly polls.

Clarifying his stance on beef eating, he said that there is no problem with it, as long as it is restricted to private places.

While talking to the media, he said, "Muslims eat beef. There is no prohibition on it...There is a big community of Muslims in Assam who eat beef. We don't tell them not to eat. We just tell them to eat it inside their houses. Don't eat at any public place".

The remarks are in stark contradiction to his previous statement during a poll rally in Jorhat, where he had warned legal action against beef eaters and vowed, "he would not spare those who eat cow meat".

"There is a law of cattle prevention in Assam. There is a provision of 3 years of jail for eating beef publicly... I am not going to spare those who eat cow meat. As per law, I am going to file an FIR against them in the police station," he told ANI during the campaign.

CM Sarma's remark has led to a major political controversy as several opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Samajwadi Party, targeted the BJP over its region-based stance difference on cow protection.

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Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the saffron party and urged people to dethrone them In a post on X, he shared Biswa's remarks and quipped, "Bhajpa hatao, Gaumata bachao" (remove BJP and protect cows).

AAP also targeted the BJP, saying, "Mother Cow is just an electoral gimmick and a tool for riots and unrest." "The BJP and its supporters carry out murders in the name of ‘cow protection' (in north India), their own leaders are saying, eat beef," AAP added.

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What does state law say?

According to the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, beef consumption is banned in public places, including restaurants and events. However, the law does not prevent cow slaughter.

The cow meat can still be purchased from shops and eaten at home or in private establishments in the state.