Food Consumption in India is a state subject. Even if the Central Govt wants, they cannot ban the consumption of any food anywhere in India (including the UTs). The constitution simply does not allow it. Only the states can. The centre can lay down rules and norms wrt to inter-state / international trade & commerce related to food products, but there is nothing they can do to prevent someone from consuming any food, which the government of a particular state has permitted people to consume.

Now, let’s come to the (in)famous ‘beef ban’ that has been propagated as being one of the draconian measures imposed on the country by the current Narendra Modi-led government.

A basic 10-minute act of research gives you the following facts.
Listed as under are the states and the years in which they banned the consumption of Beef (Cow meat) in India and which was the government that enacted the ban (listed in descending order chronologically):

Sikkim – 2017 – Sikkim Democratic Front
Goa (conditional ban) – 1995 – Congress
Rajasthan – 1995 – BJP
Delhi – 1994 – BJP
Dadra & Nagar Haveli – 1978 – Congress
Andhra Pradesh / Telangana – 1977 – Congress
Maharashtra – 1976 – Congress
Puducherry – 1968 – Congress
Karnataka – 1964 – Congress
Orissa – 1960 – Congress
MP / Chhattisgarh – 1959 – Congress
Tamil Nadu – 1958 – Congress
Bihar / Jharkhand – 1955 – Congress
Haryana – 1955 – Congress
Himachal Pradesh – 1955 – Congress
Punjab – 1955 – Congress
Uttar Pradesh / Uttarakhand – 1955 – Congress
Gujarat – 1954 – Congress
West Bengal – 1950 – Congress
J&K – 1932 – Congress
The North-East states & Kerala are the only states where beef is not banned in India.

24 out of 29 states in India currently have various regulations prohibiting either the slaughter or sale of cows.

Out of 24 states, in 21 states it was a Congress Government that banned the consumption of Beef. Only 2 by a BJP Government.

Article 48 of the Constitution of India mandates the state to prohibit the slaughter of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.

On 26 October 2005, the Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgement upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted by different state governments in India. The then central government (UPA) did not go in appeal / review.

Carabeef (Buffalo meat) was & is not banned and is free for consumption all over India. It is Carabeef that has fuelled India’s Pink Revolution and has made India one of the largest meat-exporters globally.

So what was / is all the media hullabaloo about??? And why have so many people in our country bought this utter crap that it is this Narendra Modi-led government that has banned beef?

There has been some criminal & ridiculous cow-vigilantism and violence from the same in a few states and people should hold the state CMs to account and call them out for not acting against the gau-rakshaks.

But, I really don’t see how the ‘beef ban’ has been attached to the Narendra Modi government and how swathes of people have swallowed this canard peddled by several of our ‘national media’???