The Delhi Police's “swoop” on state-run Kerala House following a complaint that beef was being served there has resulted in a political slugfest. Condemning the incident, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct Home Minister Rajnath Singh to take action against those "trespassing" on the property of the state government.
“The Kerala House canteen serves authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine and the items on the menu are in accordance within the existing law,” Chandy said in his letter to the PM.
Chandy found active support from his counterparts in Delhi, West Bengal and Assam. Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and Tarun Gogoi interpreted the "unauthorised" police action as "attack on cooperative federalism of the country". Kejriwal wondered if a CM would be arrested from a state guest house if he was suspected of eating something that the BJP did not like. "It is an attack on federal structure. The Delhi police are acting like the BJP Sena," he said, a charge that was rejected by senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu.
Naidu said the Delhi police only wanted to prevent any possible trouble created by members of an organisation who had even protested at the BJP office. "There was no issue of federalism involved in the case. The police had received a complaint from members of the organisation that beef was being served in its canteen. Members of the same organisation had once raised slogans outside BJP headquarters. Importance should not be attached to such people," Naidu said. However, the state government has lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of the Delhi police.
The VHP, however, lauded the police action and demanded a strict action against the Kerala House for "serving beef". The Kerala House dismissed allegations that beef curry was served at its premises, saying that only buffalo meat was being offered. However the contentious dish has temporarily been taken off the menu.
“The Kerala House canteen serves authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine and the items on the menu are in accordance within the existing law,” Chandy said in his letter to the PM.
Chandy found active support from his counterparts in Delhi, West Bengal and Assam. Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and Tarun Gogoi interpreted the "unauthorised" police action as "attack on cooperative federalism of the country". Kejriwal wondered if a CM would be arrested from a state guest house if he was suspected of eating something that the BJP did not like. "It is an attack on federal structure. The Delhi police are acting like the BJP Sena," he said, a charge that was rejected by senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu.
Naidu said the Delhi police only wanted to prevent any possible trouble created by members of an organisation who had even protested at the BJP office. "There was no issue of federalism involved in the case. The police had received a complaint from members of the organisation that beef was being served in its canteen. Members of the same organisation had once raised slogans outside BJP headquarters. Importance should not be attached to such people," Naidu said. However, the state government has lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of the Delhi police.
The VHP, however, lauded the police action and demanded a strict action against the Kerala House for "serving beef". The Kerala House dismissed allegations that beef curry was served at its premises, saying that only buffalo meat was being offered. However the contentious dish has temporarily been taken off the menu.
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