Uproar over 'beef biryani' being served at AMU medical college canteen

February 20, 2016

Aligarh, Feb 20: The Aligarh Muslim University which has been battling to preserve its character as a minority institution now finds itself in another controversy – this time over beef.

AMUThe issue broke out on social media yesterday when a WhatsApp post circulated a report that 'beef biryani' was being served at the AMU Medical College canteen, an allegation promptly denied by the university.

The reports spread the impression that it was cow meat and not the meat of buffalo that was being served. A picture of the canteen's menu card also went viral on social media.

BJP Mayor Shakuntala Bharti, along with party leaders and several right wing activists, held a demonstration outside the office of Senior Superintendent of Police today, demanding registration of an FIR against the contractor of AMU medical college canteen for serving 'beef biryani'.

Police said the matter was still under investigation. As news of the controversy spread, senior AMU officials led by University Proctor M Mohsin Khan rushed to the Medical College canteen and carried out an on-the-spot preliminary check.

University spokesperson Rahat Abrar alleged that the incident was a "malicious" attempt to defame the institution, asserting that the beef mentioned in the menu was of buffalo meat.

"It is nothing but a malicious propaganda to defame this institution. I can say with confidence that the beef biryani mentioned in the menu card pertains to buffalo meat and there is no iota of evidence to suggest to the contrary," he said.

The spokesperson said that according to a preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the contract for the canteen was ending soon and some "vested interests" were eyeing it next, and so were creating a controversy.

"The contract for the canteen was ending on February 23. Some vested interests which were eyeing the lucrative contract deliberately floated a malicious rumour suggesting that cow meat was being served," he said.

Abrar, however ridiculed the allegations, saying that AMU was one of the first institutions to ban cow meat on campus more than a century ago.

"AMU was perhaps the first educational institution of higher learning where beef was banned from being served inside the institution more than a century back.

"The founding father of Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College (which became the Aligarh Muslim University in 1920), Sir Syed Ahmad Khan had issued an explicit order in 1884 that not only would no beef be served in any dining room but even sacrifice of cow during Idul Adha was forbidden for all AMU employees," he said.

Abrar said Sir Syed took the action as he did not want to hurt sentiments of Hindus and terminated services of an AMU employee in 1884, when he broke this rule.

Comments

Haris
 - 
Sunday, 21 Feb 2016

Mr. Shatish &Mr. Atul Sabharwal's Al-Kabir is the most preferred beef brand in the Gulf.

Jaber
 - 
Saturday, 20 Feb 2016

Yes Rakesh there is to much demand for Indian Beef in middle east by Indian Hindus.

Rakesh
 - 
Saturday, 20 Feb 2016

its so funny , pork is banned in one of the greatest religion of all time ..even though majority of its 6th century followers taste it secretly .i have seen demand here in middle east too

Mani
 - 
Saturday, 20 Feb 2016

Its so FUNNY that ....Beef is not banned in Hindu scriptures

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News Network
April 1,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 1: The price of petrol and diesel will go up by Rs 1.60 and Rs 1.59 per litre, respectively, from Wednesday. This is in line with Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s decision to hike the rate of tax on petrol from 32% to 35% and diesel from 21% to 24%.

He had announced this in his March 5 Budget for 2020-21 fiscal. At present, a litre of petrol costs Rs 71.97 and diesel Rs 64.41 in Bengaluru.

The government decided to roll out the hike from Tuesday midnight going into Wednesday, April 1, after briefly considering a postponement in view of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Finance Secretary (Budget & Resources) Ekroop Caur confirmed to DH that the hike will be rolled out. 

The 3% hike on fuel tax was a key resource mobilisation measure that Yediyurappa announced in his Budget. The hike is expected to fetch the government Rs 1,500 crore. 

Yediyurappa had also announced a 6% additional excise duty on Indian Made Liquor (IML), which could help the government mop up Rs 1,200 crore. However, the sale of liquor has been prohibited during the lockdown period. Plus, hiking fuel prices during the lockdown will not hit citizens very hard. 

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May 9,2020

Bengaluru, May 9: The Karnataka government may not extend the daily working hours from 8 to 12, with Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar saying on Saturday that the move would neither benefit the industries nor workers.

Hebbar said that the proposal has not been discussed and it may come for final deliberations next week. He also noted that some States have already extended the working hours. More than extending working hours, there should be employment to be given. If there are no jobs what can be done by extending working hours? If it is done (working hours extended to 12 hours), it would neither benefit workers nor industries. Let's see what happens, he said.

Asked if the government was in favour of the extension, he said, "I don't think it will be ready for the (12 hour) proposal." Meanwhile, the Minister also said that their top priority now was to see that all MSMEs start operating again, salaries are paid to employees and there are no job losses for any reason. If industries don't reopen, how can workers get their employment? We should think in parallel, Hebbar said adding, the government was keeping the interests of both MSMEs and workers in mind.

He urged the Centre to offer a relief package to the MSME sector, saying it is facing very difficult times due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19-induced lockdown, and also noting its role in generating large-scale employment and feeding large industries.

The BJP-led government has done whatever within its limitations to help the MSMEs, he said. Earlier this week, the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced that the monthly fixed charges of electricity bills of MSMEs would be waived for two months. MSMEs have suffered huge production losses due to the lockdown. It takes some time for them to revive, Yediyurappa had said. The Chief Minister had also said payment of fixed charges in the electricity bills of the large industries will be deferred without penalty and interest for a period of two months.

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