Tourists can eat beef before coming to India, says Indian minister

Minister seemed to deviate from his original stance

A controversy about beef consumption arose when KJ Alphons, a Union tourism minister, asked foreign tourists to eat beef in their country and not in India.

At a meeting of the Indian Association of Tour Operators in Bhubaneshwar, reporters had inquired whether a clampdown on beef was negatively affecting tourism in the country. Alphons responded by saying, “They can eat beef in their country and come to India.”



After his appointment, the new minister had defended beef consumption in states such as Kerala and Goa.

“In Goa, ruled by BJP, people continue to eat beef. Kerala will also continue to eat beef, BJP doesn’t really have a problem with that,” he said. However, he seemed unfazed when reminded of his previous statements. “That is a cock and bull story... I am not the food minister... I am the minister for Tourism.”

Alphons had earlier told the convention that India is an ancient civilisation and people from all over the world should visit the country.

"We have to love our history and our country. We have to tell them... look here, this is a beautiful country,” he said in his first remarks.

The restrictions on the beef industry has become a bone of contention since the past few years, with a series of attacks on Muslims and Dalits suspected of transporting cattle or storing meat. Reports suggest around 30 people have been killed in cow-related violence since 2010.

The issue continues to be disputed, with the minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju voicing his opinion, and opposing the stance of his colleague and that of the union minister for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who had said that those who eat beef should go to Pakistan.

“I eat beef, I’m from Arunachal Pradesh, can somebody stop me? So let us not be touchy about somebody’s practices,” Rijiju had said.

This story originally appeared in the Hindustan Times.