Man brutally killed by mob over beef consumption Posted by: Pallavi Sengupta Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2015, 11:45 [IST] Share this on your social network: FacebookTwitterGoogle+ Comments (1) Mail Dadri (UP), Sept 30: In a horrifying incident, a 50-year old man was beaten to death by a mob on Monday night, for allegedly eating beef. Mohammad Akhlaq and his son (22) was dragged out of the house in Dadri, UP, and brutally beaten with bricks. While Akhlaq died immediately, his son incurred serious injuries. ' However, before attacking the duo, th emob broke into his house and also attacked the women. Akhlaq's wife said,"My husband was bleeding. His head was smashed. They beat the family...my husband had no enemies.." Surprisingly, the assault did not stop even after the police arrived. About 6 men were arrested from the spot. Akhlaq's daughter said that they had mutton in the refrigerator and nothing else. This has been retrieved and sent for forensic tests. Interestingly, the family had lived in the village for over 3 decades. Police is now investigating as to how the rumor spread. Tension soars in the area as people clash with the police after the incident. The police was forced to fire in the air to stop the agitation.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionMohammad Akhlaq was a farm worker
A 50-year-old man in northern India has been killed in a mob lynching allegedly over rumours that his family had been storing and consuming beef at home.
Mohammad Akhlaq was kicked and beaten with stones by a group of men in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh state on Monday night.
Mr Akhlaq's 22-year-old son was also seriously injured in the attack, and has been admitted to a hospital.
Six people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Police are probing who spread the rumour.
Slaughter of cows is a sensitive issue in India as the animal is considered sacred by Hindus, who comprise 80% of the country's 1.2bn people.
Uttar Pradesh is among a number of Indian states who have tightened laws banning cow slaughter and the sale and consumption of beef.
The beef ban has also provoked outrage with many questioning how the government decides what is on their plate.
Mr Akhlaq's family said the family had stored mutton, and not beef in their fridge. The police have taken the meat and sent it for testing, reports said.
"Some locals spread rumours that Akhlaq had cow meat at his home and engaged in cow slaughter. Following the rumours, they attacked his home," senior local official NP Singh told The Indian Express newspaper.
Senior police official Kiran S told the AFP news agency that the "announcement about the family consuming beef was made at a [local] temple".
The incident happened in a village, barely 50km (31 miles) away from the Indian capital, Delhi, where Mr Akhlaq, a farm worker, lived with his family.
Image copyrightAFPImage captionRelatives mourn the death of Mohammad Akhlaq in the villageImage copyrightHindustan TimesImage captionLocal villagers protested against the arrests and clashed with the policeImage captionMr Akhlaq's family says a temple made an announcement that they had consumed beefImage captionThere is tight security outside Mr Akhlaq's house
His 18-year-old daughter Sajida told the newspaper that a "group of more than 100 people from the village" reached the house on Monday night.
"They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother. My father was dragged outside the house and beaten with bricks," she said.
"We had come to know later that an announcement had been made from the temple about us eating beef...There was some mutton in the fridge...The police have taken it for examination."
Reports said local villagers, protesting against the arrests, had clashed with the police, and damaged a number of vehicles.
Eleven states - including Uttar Pradesh - and two union territories (federally-administered regions) in India ban slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks.
భారత్‌లో విస్తరించాలన్న ఐసిస్ లక్ష్యం నెరవేరదు : రాజ్‌నాథ్ Updated :26-09-2015 15:34:23
న్యూఢిల్లీ, సెప్టెంబర్ 26 : ఉగ్రవాదులతో కలిసి పాకిస్థాన్ భారత్‌పై ప్రచన్న యుద్ధం చేస్తోందని కేంద్రహోంమంత్రి రాజ్‌నాథ్‌సింగ్ విమర్శించారు. పాక్, చైనా సరిహద్దులను అతి సున్నితమైన ప్రాంతాలుగా ఆయన అభివర్ణించారు. భారత్‌లో విస్తరించాలన్న ఐసిస్ లక్ష్యం నెరవేరదన్నారు. సరిహద్దుల్లో కాల్పుల విరమణ ఒప్పందాన్ని పాకిస్థాన్ పదేపదే ఉల్లంఘిస్తోందని రాజ్‌నాథ్ చెప్పారు.
AR Rahman Contacts For general information, contact: management@arrahman.com For legal, publishing or samples, contact: simonlong@collinslong.com +44 (0) 207 401 9800 For all other queries, contact: info@arrahman.com
వాషింగ్టన్‌, సెప్టెంబర్ 25 : అగ్ర రాజ్యం అమెరికా ప్రపంచ ప్రజల కష్టనష్టాలను తీర్చే ప్రయత్నం చేయాలని పోప్‌ ఫ్రాన్సిస్‌ పిలుపు ఇచ్చారు. వలసదారులను ఆత్మీయంగా అక్కున చేర్చుకోవాలని అమెరికన్లకు సూచించారు. అమెరికా కాంగ్రెస్‌ ఉభయ సభల సంయుక్త సమావేశంలో పోప్‌ ప్రసంగించారు. దాంతో ఆయన వాషింగ్టన్‌ పర్యటన పూర్తి అయింది. అక్కడి నుంచి ఆయన న్యూయార్క్‌ వెళ్లారు.
వలసదారులు, శరణార్థులను ఆదరించాలని పోప్‌ ఫ్రాన్సిస్‌ అమెరికాకు పిలుపు ఇచ్చారు. వలసదారుల గతతాన్ని తవ్వితీసి ఇప్పుడు కష్టకాలంలో ఉన్నవారిని నిరాధరించవద్దని సూచించారు. తాను స్వయంగా ఒక శరణార్ధి కొడుకునని... అలాంటి వారి కష్టాలు ఎలా ఉంటాయో తనకు అనుభవ పూర్వకంగా తెలుసునని పోప్‌ చెప్పారు. ప్రపంచంలో ఏకైక అగ్రరాజ్యంగా మిగిలిన అమెరికా తన శక్తి సామర్ధ్యాలను ప్రజల గాయాలు మాన్పడానికే ఉపయోగించాలని ఆయన అన్నారు.
ద్వేషం, నిరాస, పేదరికం, కాలుష్యం వంటి సమస్యలను ఎదుర్కొంటున్న ప్రపంచాన్ని బాగుచేయాల్సిన బాధ్యత అగ్రరాజ్యంపై ఉందని పోప్‌ ఫ్రాన్సిస్‌ గుర్తు చేశారు. అమెరికా కాంగ్రెస్‌ ఉభయ సభల సంయుక్త సమావేశంలో ఆయన ప్రసంగించారు. ఆ ఘనత సాధించిన మొదటి పోప్‌ ఆయనే. శనివారం వరకు ఆయన న్యూయార్క్‌లో ఉంటారు. అక్కడ ఆయన ఐక్యరాజ్య సమితిలో ప్రసంగించనున్నారు.
క్రొయేషియా, సెప్టెంబర్ 25 : వలసదారుల కష్టాలకు అంతూ పొంతూ లేకుండా పోతోంది. వారికి ఆశ్రయం ఇవ్వడానికి ఐరోపా దేశాలు నానా అవస్థలు పడుతున్నాయి. 500 మంది వలసదారులు సెర్బియా, క్రొయేషియా సరిహద్దులోని శ్మశానంలో నిలిచిపోవలసి వచ్చింది. మరోవైపు క్రొయేషియా నుంచి వెయ్యి మంది వలసదారులు హంగేరీ చేరుకున్నారు.
వలసదారులకు శ్మశానమే ఆశ్రయంగా మారింది. సెర్బియా, క్రొయేషియా దేశాల మధ్య ఉన్న నో మ్యాన్స్‌ ల్యాండ్‌లోని శ్మశానంలో 500 మంది వలసదారులు తలదాచుకోవాల్సిన పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడింది. గురువారం నాడు సెర్బియా నుంచి క్రొయేషియాలోకి ప్రవేశిస్తున్న వలసవాదులకు ఈ విచిత్ర పరిస్థితి ఎదురైంది. తోవార్నిక్‌ నగరం వద్ద సరిహద్దులు దాటి క్రొయేషియాలోకి వెళ్లడానికి వలసదారులు ప్రయత్నిస్తున్నారు. అయితే వారిని క్రొయేషియా పోలీసులు నిలువరించారు. తమ గడ్డమీదకు రావద్దంటూ అపేందుకు ప్రయత్నించారు. ఆ క్రమంలోనే ఈ సంఘటన చోటు చేసుకుంది. ముందుకు వెళ్లలేక, వెనక్కి రాలేక వలసదారులు చాలా సేపు అవస్థలు పడ్డారు. చివరికి క్రొయేషియా అధికారులు వారికి బస్సులు ఏర్పాటు చేశారు. తమ దేశంలోని రిజిస్ర్టేషన్‌ కేంద్రానికి వారిని తరలించారు. వలసవాదులను సెర్బియా కేవలం తమ దేశం మీదకే వదిలివేస్తోందని క్రొయేషియా వాదిస్తోంది. వారిని హంగేరీ మీదుగా ఉత్తర ఐరోపాలోకి పంపించే అవకాశం ఉన్నా అలా చేయడంలేదని మండిపడుతోంది.
కులమతాలతో సంబంధం లేదు... సరస్వతి ఉంటే చాలు...లక్ష్మీని మేమిస్తాం Updated :24-09-2015 17:07:42
గాంధీనగర్, సెప్టెంబర్ 24: ఆర్ధికంగా వెనుకబడి, చదువుల్లో ముందుండే పిల్లల కోసం గుజరాత్ ప్రభుత్వం స్పెషల్ ప్యాకేజీ తీసుకు వచ్చింది. కుటుంబ వార్షిక ఆదాయం నాలుగున్నర లక్షల లోపు ఉండాలనే నిబంధనతో కులమతాలకతీతంగా అందరికీ వర్తించేలా ప్యాకేజీని రూపొందించారు. పై చదువుల కోసం విద్యార్ధులు ఆర్ధికపరమైన ఇబ్బందులు పడకుండా చూడటమే ప్యాకేజీ లక్ష్యం.
LUCKNOW: This Eid-ul-Zuha, the historic Imambara
Sibtainabad in the heart of Lucknow will play host to an event that has no
precedent in the city's history. As part of a citizen-driven initiative called
'Shoulder to Shoulder' (S2S), a joint Shia-Sunni namaz will be held in the
Imambara lawns to send out the message of universal brotherhood. Interestingly,
the Eid-ul-Zuha namaz will be led by a Sunni cleric in a venue that is often
perceived as "a Shia monument". The initiative is significant in
light of global sectarian strife, particularly in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan,
where large-scale violence often has roots in sectarianism.
Shia and Sunni namaz on both Eids is usually held separately in Lucknow. While
prominent Shia mosques include the Asafi Masjid in Bada Imambara, the largest
Sunni congregation is at Eidgah. According to an estimate, while there are 1.25
lakh Shias in Lucknow, the number of Sunnis is five times higher.
The S2S initiative began as a Whatsapp group in the city, which eventually led
to the creation of multiple sister groups as the app allows maximum of 100
members. A Facebook event was subsequently created and has gone viral since. An
e-invitation to the event has in fact been shared hundreds of times on the
social media website.
Mohammad Haider and Atif Hanif, who are part of the core group, said this is an
attempt to find common ground, forget artificial differences, and accentuate
the similarities between the two sects. "Lucknow, a city of rich cultural,
linguistic, architectural and culinary heritage, is also infamous for sectarian
strife. Almost every year, big and small clashes between the Shias and Sunnis
make headlines nationally. Shops are burnt, bones are broken, curfew is imposed
for a few days, and some youths end up in prison, losing all prospects of a
bright future," Haider said.
Because there is a minor difference in the way Eid prayers are offered by both
the sects, the group wrote to world-renowned Shia scholar Al-Sayyid Ali
Al-Husseini Al-Sistani based in Iraq as well as Iran's Grand Ayatullah Sayyid
Ali Hosseini Khamenei for approval. Both the scholars confirmed that the joint
prayers are permissible. An S2S delegation also met noted clerics from Lucknow,
including Maulana Kalbe Jawad, Maulana Khalid Rasheed, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, and
Maulana Mohammad Athar. The clerics appreciated the initiative and extended
support to the cause. In fact, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq will also be joining the
prayers.
There were other challenges but they were ironed out gradually with mutual
understanding among the group members. These included fixing the time for the
namaz. Sunni Muslims, unlike the Shias, can offer sacrifice only after namaz,
so the prayers are often held early in the morning. "Baqrid namaz for
Shias usually happens much later in the day. But after a mutual discussion
among the core team members, we settled for 8am," said Atif Hanif, highlighting
that the initiative is not backed by any political party or organization.
Group members say the response has been fantastic. "We're expecting
lawyers, businessmen, writers, journalists, IT professionals, and students,
among others. In fact, many non-Muslims will also be volunteering and having
sewain and Kashmiri chai with us at the venue post the prayers. Everyone's
invited," said Hanif.
"This is a fantastic effort. I joined the initiative as it promotes
universal brotherhood, strengthening the social fabric of our nation,"
said Asif Khan, who is into construction business.
"This is the need of the hour in a country like ours which is so diverse.
I associated myself with it as it promotes the true idea of India," said
Mujtaba Khan, an engineer.
Even those who are not part of the group or unable to join the namaz because
they are in some other city, state or country are supporting the initiative
enthusiastically. A message by Salim Parvez says, "S2S is a befitting
reply to separatists even of the cleric type who misguide the community with
the ulterior motive of building a fan following. They defeat the very purpose
of praying by bringing in unfounded nuances— like who is eligible to enter the
masjid and who is not, or what rituals make a namaz acceptable to Allah and
which ones don't. There is no basis or proof of their assertions, only a design
of creating conflict."
Others have lauded the initiative as a "revolution" and "a
historic step" towards bringing the two sects closer and uniting them.
DIFFERENT VIEWS
Sunni and Shia Muslims share all the fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles
of faith, including the Qur'an, haj, charity and fasting. Differences stemmed
not out of spiritual differences, but political conflicts. Over the centuries,
the political differences have given rise to a number of varying practices and
positions that assumed spiritual significance. Sunni means one who follows
Sunnah meaning traditions of Prophet Muhammad. After the death of the Prophet
there was a question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim
nation. Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's
companions, that the new leader be elected from among those capable of the job.
The Prophet's close friend and advisor Abu Bakr became the first Caliph of the
Islamic nation. Shias believe after the Prophet's death, leadership should have
passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali bin Abu Talib.
Recently, a four-day ban on the sale of meat in Mumbai during the Jain festival of Paryushan Parva triggered a controversy . (Reuters File Photo)
1461
98
Share25
The Jammu and Kashmir high court ordered state police on Thursday to ensure strict implementation of a colonial-era law banning the sale of beef after a petitioner argued the slaughter of bovine animals hurt the sentiments of some communities.
The ruling comes in a year when several states have banned beef trade and cow slaughter, stoking an ever-swirling debate with several right-wing organisations supporting these moves while many minority groups and activists have termed such decisions a blow to personal freedom and India’s secular fabric.
Experts say the high court order is a reiteration of a section of the 1932 Ranbir Penal Code that is applicable in J&K, which says slaughter of cows and “like animals” is punishable with up to 10 years of imprisonment as well as a financial penalty.
A division bench of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal instructed the director general of police to order top police officials of all districts and police stations to ensure there is no sale of beef in the state and stringent action is taken against violators.
The court was hearing advocate Parimoksh Seth’s public interest litigation (PIL) that said despite the Ranbir Penal Code provisions, bovine slaughter was rampant in the state. Advocate Sunil Sethi, spokesperson of the BJP's state unit, represented the petitioner who is a member of the party’s youth wing.
Soon after the high court order some J&K separatist groups, including Yasin Malik’s Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, called for a shutdown in the Valley on Saturday to protest the ban.
“Although consumption of beef is less in Kashmir, there are some areas where it’s consumed daily. So I see no reason why this practice should not continue,” said moderate Hurriyat leader and the Valley’s head cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. “It’s nothing but a political gimmick.”
India is the world’s second-largest beef exporter after Brazil, but the BJP and its affiliates have been pushing for a nationwide ban on cow slaughter, as the animal is considered holy by many Hindus.
Home minister Rajnath Singh called for a countrywide prohibition on beef in March.
“How can we accept that cows should be slaughtered in this country? We will do our best to put a ban on this, and we will do whatever it takes to build consensus,” he said.
The same month, Maharashtra extended a ban on the slaughter of cows to bulls and bullocks while Haryana made cow slaughter and beef sale non-bailable offences soon after. Jharkhand and Rajasthan are reportedly considering similar legislation. All these states have BJP-led governments.
The court’s order comes days after some civic bodies in Maharashtra banned the sale of meat during the Jain fasting period of Paryushan, triggering a debate on religious sentiments and individual freedom.
Legal experts in Kashmir said the ban was imposed stringently in the state from 1932 to 1947, but its effect waned afterwards.
“The majority community in the state has never opposed the ban due to a sense of respect for Hindus. This despite the fact that it’s an intrusion on a person’s fundamental right,” said senior lawyer GN Shaheen.
The BJP, which rules the state in coalition with the PDP, welcomed the court’s decision saying the party had always opposed the killing of bovine animals like cows and was vigorously pursuing the ban.
“The ban on sale of beef is a worthy decision that would give a strong message against those forces which had been polluting the religious belief of particular community,” said state legislator Ashok Khajuria, arguing that the cow was India’s building force.\
The PDP clarified that the ban was not similar to the ones invoked in Maharashtra and other parts of the country.
“We have inherited the ban from the Constitution of the state. It’s not new. The only thing is considering the sentiments of the majority of people living in Kashmir, it wasn't enforced,” said Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, political adviser to chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
The Congress called the issue “sensitive”, warning that the communal wedge in the state was deepening because of the ruling parties pursuing opportunistic agendas.
“The government should take a call on this situation as it is a sensitive issue. It is a high court decision and should be respected above all,” said MLC Ravinder Sharma. The BJP-PDP coalition government is busy raising uncalled for controversies, as the two parties have different approaches on various issues.”
In Maharashtra, the BJP-led government passed the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act in March, banning the slaughter, sale and import of beef, a move which has been challenged in court. According to the law, slaughter and sale of beef as well as the possession and consumption of beef is a criminal offence.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the beef ban deepens the rift between BJP and PDP
While the opposition seems united and questions the constitutional validity of the ban, the differences sharpen between the ruling coalition.
The political parties of Jammu and Kashmir remain divided on the issue of the beef ban that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court ordered to be enforced ahead of the Eid ul Azha next week. People are vehemently opposing the ban by slaughtering bovine animals, observing a shutdown on last Saturday, amidst continuing protests. The controversy has put the ruling People’s Democratic Party, which mainly represents Muslims, on the backfoot, as none other than its coalition partner, Bharatiya Janata Party, supports the ban.
The slaughter of bovine animals and sale and purchase of beef is a punishable offence in the state under the provisions of sections 298-A, 298-B, 298-C and 298-D of Ranbir Penal Code. On September 16, the High Court issued a notice to the Mufti Mohammad Sayed-led government, in response to a writ petition filed by a former law professor Sayed Afzal Qadri, challenging the constitutional validity of the ban. The state government was asked to submit a response within one week.
United opposition
The Congress is against the beef ban and is ready to support scrapping of the law. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, noting that the decision had left people of the state angry, noted that it had become a very sensitive issue for the whole country, especially for Kashmir. He added that his party would be open to bring a bill or support anyone else seeking amendments in the law during the autumn session of the state assembly starting from October 3.
The main opposition, the National Conference has already submitted a bill in the assembly for making amendments in the relevant sections that impose a ban on beef. “We are hopeful that this bill will be supported by the members of ruling coalition and other members,” Ali Mohammad Sagar, the party general secretary, told The Indian Express.
Another similar bill was also submitted by independent legislator Engineer Rashid, who said the ban was anti-Muslim. But the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir rightly pointed out that the bill could not be passed without the legislators of the ruling parties, the BJP and the PDP, supporting it.
Divided government
The ruling party, PDP, on the other hand, has been saying that the ban should not be taken seriously. The Member of Parliament and senior party leader Tariq Hameed Karra observed that the recent directive of the Supreme Court that “the meat ban can’t be forced down someone’s throat” has paved the way for scrapping the law in the state.
“The anti-beef sections of RPC have been enacted in 1932 by the then autocratic ruler of the State and have absolutely no relevance in today’s democratic setup,” Karra said in a statement. “All the regional political parties in the State should take a stand on the issue and get these provisions of RPC scrapped through legislation in the upcoming session of the State legislature. These sections have to go and should go, sooner the better.”
Earlier the PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also said the court’s decision would not change the government’s policy. “The government has not used any force to implement the ban and there won’t be any major change in the government policy vis-à-vis slaughtering of bovine animals and sale of beef,” Mufti told a local news agency. “The ban on beef has not only been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir but is in force in three other states of the country as well," she added. "However, wherever the ban was imposed, authorities were forced to revoke it and allow the practice of slaughtering of bovine animals and sale of beef as usual.”
With such views, it seems the ruling PDP too has decided to toe the opposition line but seems confused in taking any concrete decision. However, since the PDP heads the coalition government, it has become hard for it to support the National Conference's bill in the assembly. Their coalition partner BJP, however, continues to support the ban both within and from outside.
Last week, the BJP clearly stated that the party wanted to honour the court ordered ban. “Any move to lift it will be opposed vigorously as the issue is directly related to the religious sentiments of the Hindu community,” Balbir Ram Rattan, the BJP state spokesperson, told the Press Trust of India.
Threats of a blockade
Meanwhile, in response to this debate, the Vishva Hindu Parishad has threatened to launch an agitation and force people of Kashmir to starve by enforcing an economic blockade similar to that of 2008, if the assembly allowed any such discussion about removing the court-ordered ban.
“We warn the state government that Jammu would observe a black day and the people of the region would be forced to take to the streets if the Assembly Speaker allowed a discussion on an anti-beef ban bill,” Leela Karan Sharma, president of the VHP’s state unit told reporters on Friday.
“The people of Jammu would not tolerate it. The government will have to face consequences. Nobody should be allowed to play with the sentiments of over one billion Hindus across the globe,” Sharma warned.
Kashmir shuts down in protest over high court beef ban
Protests after state high court implements 83-year old law banning consumption of beef in Indian-administered region.
5408
210
Kashmiri leaders say that people would reject the ban on not adhere to the court order [EPA]
Indian-administered Kashmir has experienced a complete shut down in protest against a high court's decision to implement a 83-year old law banning beef in the state.
All business establishments, shops and government offices were closed and public transport suspended on Saturday, as Kashmiris followed a call by pro-independence leaders to show their dissatisfaction over the court's decision. Police and paramilitary forces were also deployed.
Shahidul Islam, spokesperson for the Hurriyat Conference (M), an alliance of secessionist parties, and one of the organisers behind the call to protest on Saturday, told Al Jazeera that Kashmiris would reject the court order.
"It is a Muslim majority state and as you must have seen from the last two days, the harsh reaction of the common people, people have clearly rejected this law, it will be very, very hard for government to impose this law here," he said.
Kashmiri leaders have termed the order as motivated by politics and interfering with religious affairs [EPA/Farook Khan]
On Thursday, the Jammu and Kashmir high court had ordered authorities to strictly implement the 1932 law making slaughter of cows punishable with up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine.
Indian authorities have not enforced the law in Kashmir for nearly seven decades and the decision came after a petition was filed at the courts for the law to be adhered to.
"Since the BJP has taken power it is trying to impose these type of laws through judiciary which is very unfortunate, I am not denying the fact that this law was already there, but now they used the judiciary," Islam said.
Local journalist Rifat Mohidin told Al Jazeera that many Kashmiris were angry and said the move could spark a new wave of protests in the valley.
"People see the ban as a threat to their religious identity," Mohidin said from Srinagar.
Responding to the ban, Waheed-Ur-Rehman, spokesperson for the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) in Indian-administered Kashmir, said his party believed "people should decide what they want to eat or don't eat".
"It is very hard to go to kitchens of the people and check what they have cooked ... it is hard to control," Rehman said.
Rehman would not say if his party supported the ban or not, though The Hindu newspaper on Friday reported that the party, currently in a coalition governmentwith the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Indian-administered Kashmir, had also criticised the move.
It is still not clear if the government would lodge an appeal against the ruling.
Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the protesters [AP Photo/Dar Yasin]
On Friday, hundreds of Kashmiris chanted anti-government slogans and hurled stones at police to protest against the court ruling.
Protesters took to the streets after Friday prayers in mosques in Srinagar, Pulwama, Pattan and elsewhere in the valley.
A ban on meat has been ordered in India's financial hub of Mumbai and western Gujarat state as well, also governed by the ruling nationalist BJP with its alliances.
India is the world's largest beef exporter and fifth-biggest consumer. In his election campaign of 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the previous Congress-led government of driving growth on the back of cow slaughter, an act considered sacrilegious by Hindus.
Since Modi came to power in May last year, the rhetoric on the protection of cows has increased.
Critics say tougher anti-beef laws discriminate against Muslims, Christians and lower-caste Hindus who rely on the cheap meat for protein.
Butchers and cattle traders, many of them Muslim, say the push threatens thousands of jobs.
AFP
AFP
Hindustan Times
