(Representative image)

CHANDIGARH: The National Crime Record Bureau's latest data shows that Haryana has the second highest number of complaints being lodged at police stations after Uttar Pradesh in the country.

Police officials in the state's Mewat district, however, have been given a different priority collecting biryani samples from street vendors to check for beef.

Mewat is Haryana's only Muslim-dominated district and the diktat from the state government's Gau Sewa Ayog has come just ahead of Bakri Eid on September 11.

Bharti Arora, DIG in charge of the special task force to check cow smuggling and slaughter, and Mewat SSP Kuldeep Singh along with Ayog chairman Bhani Ram Mangla met locals in Mewat on Tuesday to discuss the issue. Mangla said the directions to the police were issued in the wake of a number of specific complaints that the biryani vendors were serving beef. After Mewat, sampling will be done in other districts as well.

Why just biryani and not any other preparation like mutton curry and kebabs? Mangla believes he has got the logic right. “Selling beef openly is difficult,“ he says. “ According to the complaints we received, the vendors are mixing a little rice with the meat to camouflage it.“

Haryana has one of the most stringent cow slaughter acts in the country with a maximum jail term of 10 years.

The police have been told to immediately book vendors if they find beef. “At the same time, we have also asked the food and drug administration to ensure early reports of tests,“ he said.

Former minister and senior Congress leader from Mewat, Aftab Ahmed has termed the move as an attempt by the BJP government to embarrass and humiliate the particular community and a particular district. “This violates constitutional provisions of people's right to work,“ he said. “This is totally vague, unjustified and targeting of a particular community.“ The Ayog has even pinpointed specific areas with beef trouble. These include Ghaseda, Nuh, Ferozpur Jhirka, Rawali, Nagina, Pingawa, Bhadas, Malab, Punhana, Shikrawa and Choukha.

Mangla will be convening the meeting of preachers and the prominent persons in the district and ask them to spread the word that beef should be totally avoided during the festival.

Arora, on the other hand, said the police have already started collecting samples. “So far, we had selectively collected samples, but now the sampling will be random, targeting all vendors selling biryani,“ she said.

