Qurbani will happen at any cost: Humayun Kabir warns as Bengal bans cow slaughter
This comes days after the Suvendu Adhikari-led government recently issued strict instructions against illegal cattle slaughter and directing tighter enforcement of animal slaughter laws.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) chief Humayun Kabir stoked a fresh political controversy in West Bengal after he declared that cow slaughter and ritual sacrifice during Bakrid would continue in the state "at any cost". This comes days after the Suvendu Adhikari-led government recently issued strict instructions against illegal cattle slaughter and directing tighter enforcement of animal slaughter laws.
Kabir’s remarks came in response to a public notice issued under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950.
Addressing reporters in Hooghly on Wednesday, the former Trinamool Congress MLA asserted that no restriction or objection would stop the practice of qurbani (sacrifice).
"The government can make a rule asking Muslims not to eat beef, but ritual sacrifice (qurbani) will continue. We won’t listen to any objections. It’s a tradition that has been going on for 1,400 years and will continue as long as the world exists," Kabir said.
He further escalated the rhetoric by openly declaring that animal sacrifice would continue regardless of opposition.
"Sacrifice will take place, come what may," Kabir said. "Cows will be sacrificed, goats will be sacrificed, camels will be sacrificed, sheep will be sacrificed—all animals that are permissible for sacrifice will indeed be sacrificed. No one can stop it".
"The sacrifice will definitely happen; even if someone forbids it, we will not heed them," he added.
Kabir's remarks have triggered sharp reactions amid heightened political and communal sensitivities in the state.
The controversy comes days after the newly sworn-in Bengal government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari held a major law-and-order review meeting at Nabanna and directed police to crack down on illegal cattle trade and slaughterhouses.
The administration instructed officials to strictly enforce provisions related to illegal slaughter activities and ordered tighter coordination along border districts to prevent illegal cattle movement.
Police were also directed to ensure that licenced cattle trade operates within the framework of the law.
Amid the growing row, senior cleric of Furfura Sharif, Toha Siddiqui, urged people to obey the law and avoid cow slaughter during qurbani.
"Everyone should obey the law against cow slaughter. Cows should not be slaughtered during sacrifice," Siddiqui said.
However, he also questioned why similar restrictions were not enforced uniformly across the country, claiming cow slaughter continued in other states as well.
"We have given up eating beef. Will we die if we don't eat beef?" he remarked.
Congress leader Husain Dalwai also appealed for sensitivity towards Hindu sentiments.
"If the sentiments of our Hindu brothers are hurt by cow slaughter, then I believe that we should not sacrifice cows. Because we live in this country together and respect each other's religion," Dalwai said, adding that goats could instead be sacrificed.
Kabir has previously courted controversy with provocative statements.
Last year, while still a Trinamool Congress MLA, he announced plans to lay the "foundation stone of the Babri Masjid" in Murshidabad on December 6 – the anniversary of the Babri demolition in Ayodhya in 1992 – triggering a nationwide political backlash, and accusations of communal polarisation from BJP leaders.