Goa BJP steers clear of cow slaughter ban controversy in Karnataka

Panaji: State BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade steered clear of queries related to an impending ban on cow slaughter in Karnataka and its impact on beef availability in Goa, which imports nearly all its slaughtered beef from the Southern state.

"What they are doing in the Karnataka assembly, it is their decision. It will be not right for us to comment on it," Tanavade told reporters.

The state Bharatiya Janata Party president's comments come days after BJP national secretary and BJP MLA from Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru legislative assembly constituency, CT Ravi, who also holds brief as the party's desk in-charge for Goa, said that the Karnataka assembly would be passing a strict law banning slaughter of cows in Karnataka.

Tanavade also said that just because the Goa desk in-charge has advocated the ban in Karnataka, it does not mean that the same norm would be applied in Goa, where beef is routinely consumed by more than 30 per cent of the state's minority population and by thousands of tourists, who visit the state every year.

"See he (Ravi) is an MLA, so what he needs to do (in Karnataka) is a different matter. Just because they do it there, that means it will happen here. It is not the case. It is a different issue there," Tanavade said.

Majority of the beef sold in Goa is sourced from the neighbouring state of Karnataka, especially from the border district of Belgavi. Goa consumes nearly 25 tons of beef everyday.