India's political arch rivals, the Congress and the BJP, have managed to find a common ground in beef, which, following the lynching of a 50-year-old man in Dadri near New Delhi last week, has been the point of a deeply-charged amd polarising debate in the country.

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In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has revealed that his party plans to call for a nationwide ban on cow slaughter, an issue that so far is the pet of the right-wing forces in India. "Even during the Mughal times, the sentiments of Hindus were respected regarding cow slaughter," he said, calling the lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq "dirty politics".

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Singh said the decision to find a common cause with the BJP on beef ban was taken following a top-level meeting attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy and son, Rahul, last week. He said the party, in its fight with the BJP, wants to shun its anti-Hindu image.

"It was the Congress which formulated laws against cow slaughter in so many states. The BJP should understand this," Singh said. "When I was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, we, in consultation with the Quraish community, decided to do away with cow slaughter and opened a lot of cow sheds," he added.

"What happened in Dadri is nothing but dirty politics being played out. Nobody has the right to take anybody's life. This is the agenda of the BJP-RSS combine," the Congress leader said.

When asked about Congress ally Lalu Prasad's controversial statement on cow slaughter, Singh said, "Lalu Yadav is not supporting cow slaughter. How can any Yadav be against cows?" In his attack on the BJP for the Dadri killing, Lalu had said even many Hindus eat cow meat, a statement that has forced Sonia and Rahul to not share stage with their Bihar partner.