Election Commission files FIR against BJP candidate for remarks on 'beef eating'

GUWAHATI: The Election Commission (EC) filed an FIR against Gauripur BJP candidate Banendra Kumar Mushahary for his remarks on beef yesterday during an election-related meeting, reports said.

The Election Commission's FIR has been lodged at the Gauripur police station.

Mushahary, who is contesting from Gauripur constituency for BJP, had claimed that beef is the “national dish of India”. He made the remark at an election meeting in a minority-dominated area in the district.

In the footage from a pre-election public rally, the BJP leader can be heard saying, “The beef that we eat…how can it be banned? It is a national food,” he can be heard saying in a clip, before going on to accuse the opposition party of peddling ‘lies.’

Earlier, the Purvanchal Hindu Aikya Mancha, a pro-Hindutva outfit, taking affront to the MLA hopeful’s statement, had filed an FIR at the Dispur Police station in Guwahati city demanding “prompt action” against the politician.

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“When due to elections MCC is on force how can a candidate give such a sensitive comment to attract votes of a particular community hurting sentiments of another community. We PHOM strongly condemn this act and request you to kindly register a case against Mr. Banendra Kumar Mushahary under appropriate sections of IPC and take strong legal actions for violating MCC and spreading hatred and enmity amongst two religious communities,” the organization wrote in its FIR.

The statement seems to have triggered outrage in Gouripur, with the local Hindus demanding the election candidate to tender an apology.

According to sources, Mushahary has made this statement in order to appease the minority population in the Constituency, considered pivotal in order to script a victory.

In the 2016 Assembly election, the AIUDF’s Nijanur Rehman, with 73,412 votes, easily beat Mushahary, then with the BPF, who got 53,512 votes.