NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Meat traders on Wednesday alleged that cow vigilantes in the state were attacking, threatening and obstructing them from running their business, and sought police protection from the state government.
“If Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar wants Goa to avoid a Dadri (UP)-like situation then he should urgently provide us police protection to carry out our legal business,” president of Qureshi Meat Traders Owners Association Manna Bepari said.
“My worker was attacked by members of a NGO on April 30 when he was carrying animal waste like bones and fat. The vehicle was heavily damaged and the worker was later arrested by the Ponda police on the charge of illegal transportation of beef,” Bepari claimed.
He said that cow vigilantes and the NGO’s members falsely stated that beef was being transported illegally.
“The animal waste was being transported in a vehicle registered with the Goa Meat Complex’s waste management agency for the disposal at the treatment plant of the GMC, Usgao,” Bepari said.
He claimed that the waste was only of buffalo and bullock meat and had all required permissions from the concerned authorities for transportation.
Claiming that cow vigilantes were unaware of the waste disposal facilities at the meat complex, Bepari said that if the government turns a blind eye to cow vigilantism there could be communal tension in the state.
“Vigilantes are very active in Goa. I want to ask the state government: who has given them (vigilantes) freehand to take law in their own hand,” asked Bepari.
He said the meat traders could support the vigilantes in stopping illegalities only if they follow the law of the land and report the matter to the concerned authorities rather than taking law in their own hand.
He urged Parrikar to intervene in the matter and take necessary step to resolve the issue between the meat traders and the vigilantes before it takes an ugly turn.