Supporting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on his stance on beef, activists of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) consumed beef at a well-planned demonstration outside the office of the Tahsildar here on Thursday. Earlier they took out a rally from the Inspectors' Bungalow through major streets of the city raising slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing outfits for their "attack on one's right to eat what one wants." The rally culminated at the Tahsildar's office with a demonstration.

The demonstration began with the party's State Committee member Chinnappa Kotraki reiterating the same question that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had publically asked (I will eat beef, if I want and who are your question?).

"It is a democratic country and every citizen has right to eat what s/he desires. Beef has historically been a major food for most of the population in India. In recent times, some of the so-called elite might have give up beef-eating; however, it continues to be a major food for vast majority of the people, particularly dalits, backward classes and minority sections. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, through his public statement, has defended the right of food choice and upheld the food culture of these backward and marginalised sections," he said during the protest.

Mr. Kotraki held that Brahmins, Kshatriyas and saints had preferred beef as they considered it a holy dish. "While beef was a major food in ancient India, it was a must in all religious events. It was only when Buddhism and Jainism began to spread their influence with their vegetarianism and caused huge population conversions from Hinduism to their fold that the proponents of Hinduism gave up beef-eating and began to advocate vegetarianism," he said.

Taking serious exception to Mr. K.S. Eswharappa's reported verbal attack on the Chief Minister for his comment on beef, Mr. Kotraki demanded that a criminal case be booked against the BJP leader. "Responding to Chief Minister's comment on beef, Mr. Eshwarappa, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, has said that the Chief Minister was not a human being. He indeed meant that all those people who eat beef are not human beings. He should be sternly dealt with under legal provisions," Mr. Kotraki demanded.

He also challenged right-wing organisations and maths for a public debate on beef-eating. Party leaders Ramesh Patil Bergi, B.N. Yaradihal, Nagaraj Pujar, Basappa Kadabur, Galimappa, Rajasab Tidigol and others were present.