'Beef fry' to be back on Delhi's Kerala House menu from tomorrow

'Beef fry' to be back on Delhi's Kerala House menu from tomorrow

TNN | Oct 27, 2015, 06.23 PM IST

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'Beef fry' to be back on Delhi's Kerala House menu from tomorrow
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NEW DELHI: 'Beef fry' will be back on the Kerala House menu from tomorrow after it was taken off the menu today following a raid by the Delhi Police. The state guesthouse had temporarily taken buffalo meat off the canteen menu, but dismissed allegations that beef curry was served at its premises, saying that only buffalo meat was offered.

A PCR call by a person claiming to belong to a fringe right-wing group Hindu Sena on Monday complaining that beef was being served at Kerala House's canteen had seen Delhi Police personnel rush to the premises.

READ ALSO: Kerala House 'beef' row: MPs protest police action

An upset Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy accused the Delhi Police of carrying out "searches" at New Delhi's Kerala House over an allegation of beef being served there and termed the matter "unfortunate".

The Kerala chief minister wrote a letter to PM saying, "I seek the personal intervention of Prime Minister to instruct the Union home minister for taking stringent action against those responsible for trespassing into the premises of the state govt property and ensure that this kind of incidents does not occur again."

A call by a person claiming to belong to a fringe right-wing group in the afternoon on Monday complaining that beef was being served at Kerala House's canteen had seen Delhi Police personnel rush to the state-run guest house in the national capital.

Reacting to the episode, the Kerala chief minister said some people were unnecessarily creating a row over the beef ban.

"Kerala House is not a private hotel or an institution run for making profit. It is an official guest house of the state government. The police action was really unfortunate. They should have shown some restraint before carrying out searches," Chandy said.

"The raid was conducted without any permission or prior intimation to the resident commissioner (of Kerala House). The Kerala government has filed a formal complaint to the Commissioner of Delhi Police," he said.

"I would like to inform you that Kerala House serves authentic Kerala cuisine, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. All the items in the menu are in accordance with and entirely within the confines of law," he added.

Kerala home minister Ramesh Chennithala echoed Chandy, saying the incident amounted to an infringement of the powers of the state. Kerala government would soon send a letter to the lieutenant governor of Delhi expressing the state's strong protest over the issue, he added.

Meanwhile, strong reactions to the episode poured in from opposition parties as well in Kerala with former defence minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony saying, "It is the individual's freedom to decide what to eat and wear, and that freedom should not be infringed upon."

CPI(M), too, condemned the police action with party Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan alleging that the searches at the state-run guest house was part of a Sangh Parivar agenda.

"The same forces who killed Mohd Iqlakh in Dadri are behind the raid at Kerala House also. The raid at state-run guest house is a warning that they will barge into any kitchen in the country," he said in a Facebook post.

"There is neither any ban on beef in Delhi nor any restriction to cook or sell it at Kerala House. The Delhi Police's illegal action, according to communal forces, is part of the Sangh Parivar agenda," he added.

Kerala House 'beef' row: MPs protest police action
TNN & Agencies | Oct 27, 2015, 04.35 PM IST

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Kerala House 'beef' row: MPs protest police action
Delhi Police acting like BJP sena: KejriwalKerala CM, leaders slam Kerala House beef row'Beef' taken off the menu at Delhi's Kerala House
KOZHIKODE/NEW DELHI: Several MPs from Kerala on Tuesda they protested outside the state guest house in Delhi after police entered the premises on a complaint that it serves beef. The parliamentarians carried placards which termed the police action an attack on Kerala House and condemned the act.

A political row also broke out over the police action with Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy condemning the "raid" as "unfortunate". He was also backed by his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal who said the police action was an "attack on the federal structure", a charge rejected by BJP.

The BJP justified the police action, saying it was only making inquiries following a complaint and was well within its right under the law of the land.

Accusing Chandy of "politicising" the issue, BJP said serving of beef in restaurants in Delhi was illegal.

The Kerala House dismissed allegations that beef curry was served at its premises, saying that only buffalo meat was offered. However, it has temporarily taken buffalo meat off the canteen menu.

"Kerala House is not a private hotel or an institution run for making profit. It is an official guest house of the state government. The police action was really unfortunate. They should have shown some restraint before carrying out searches," Chandy, a Congress leader, said in Kozhikode, while voicing his protest. Cutting across party lines, state political leaders supported the chief minister.

Chandy said some people were unnecessarily creating a row over the beef ban and that his government would take up the issue of Delhi Police's action with the Centre.

Kerala chief secretary Jiji Thomson categorically denied that cow meat was served at Kerala House and said they will wait for "police action" in the wake of the complaint by the state's resident commissioner over entry of activists.

"I totally deny that cow meat was served here (canteen of Kerala House). Only buffalo meat is served," Thomson said.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also waded into the row. "I strongly condemn what happened in Delhi at Kerala Bhavan. An unwise and unhealthy attempt to curb fundamental rights of people. Intolerance," she said.

A PCR call by a person claiming to belong to a fringe right-wing group Hindu Sena on Monday complaining that beef was being served at Kerala House's canteen had seen Delhi Police personnel rush to the premises.

Kerala home minister Ramesh Chennithala said the incident amounted to an infringement of the powers of the state. Kerala government would soon send a letter to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi expressing the state's strong protest over the issue, he added.

Kejriwal while condemning the "raid" by Delhi Police wondered if a CM would be arrested from a state guest house if he was suspected of eating something that BJP does not like.

"It is an attack on federal structure. Delhi police is acting like BJP Sena," he said.

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi on his part said, "It was not a raid. It was in fact a preventive measure as per our standing operating procedures."

Meanwhile, Union minister Venkaiah Naidu rejected Kejriwal's remark that the police action was an attack on federal structure, saying police was only making inquiries.

"The police action was right and was a preventive measure within the law of land. Chandy is trying to politicise the incident," BJP spokesman Siddharnath Nath Singh.


Congress leader Tom Vadakkan accused the Delhi Police of indulging in "moral policing".





Beef row: Cops had no business to enter Kerala House, Arvind Kejriwal says
TNN | Oct 27, 2015, 01.31 PM IST

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NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday criticized Delhi Police for entering the Kerala House on Monday after getting a call complaining about beef curry being served there.

"Delhi police had no business to enter the Kerala House. It is an attack on the federal structure. Delhi Police is acting like BJP sena," Kejriwal said in a tweet on Tuesday.

"Will Delhi Police go and arrest a CM from a state bhavan in Delhi if they suspect the CM to be eating something that BJP or Modiji don't like," Kejriwal asked in another tweet.

Earlier, Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy said the Delhi Police should have exercised restraint while conducting the checks at the Kerala House.

READ ALSO:
Delhi cops should have shown restraint, Chandy says

A team of 20 police officials visited the state's guest house on Monday evening to verify if its canteen was serving beef after a caller identified as Vishnu Gupta - a Hindu Sena leader - complained that beef was being served in the Kerala House canteen. .

"The call was received by the police control room around 4.15pm, and the caller, claiming to be from a fringe right-wing group, told the police that beef was being served at Kerala House," New Delhi deputy commissioner of police Jatin Narwal said.

Keeping in mind the beef-related untoward incidents that have been taking place across the country over the last few weeks, a police team went Kerala House to verify facts, Narwal said.

The team remained deployed there for several hours.


The Kerala House said it served only buffalo meat at its canteen and called it "beef", but has decided to take the dish off its menu.