The BJP’s cow protection campaign has come under scrutiny within its own ranks after a gesture by its Chief Minister in Tripura drew sharp criticism from several quarters. In an unexpected move, Chief Minister Manik Saha arranged for a cow to be gifted to a Muslim family for Bakrid sacrifice. While seen as a goodwill gesture by some, the move has triggered internal dissent within the BJP and its affiliated organizations.
Under CM Saha’s instructions, Bilal Miyan, the state president of BJP’s Minority Morcha, personally delivered the cow to the family in Udaipur’s Rajnagar area. The gesture has been welcomed by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and local members of the Muslim community, but has sparked unrest within the Sangh Parivar, which sees it as a betrayal of the party’s long-standing commitment to cow protection.
What Prompted the Cow Donation?
The incident dates back to June 7, the day of Bakrid. According to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, members of Hindu nationalist groups allegedly disrupted a Muslim family’s ritual sacrifice in Rajnagar, chased away their animal, and reportedly used force against the family.
Hindu groups offer a different version of events. According to them, the protest stemmed from concerns over animal sacrifice near the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple, a significant Hindu shrine in Udaipur. They claim local Hindu leaders had respectfully requested the Muslim community to avoid public slaughter of cows or other animals near the temple. However, some families allegedly defied the request, prompting a protest by local youth, which they say was misrepresented as aggression.
In response to the incident, Jamiat leaders met with Minister Paranjit Singh Roy, the local BJP MLA. After hearing the complaint, Roy reportedly discussed the matter with CM Manik Saha and proposed gifting a cow to the aggrieved Muslim family to allow them to perform their religious rite.
Following the CM’s approval, Minister Roy arranged for the cow, and Bilal Miyan, along with other local BJP leaders, delivered it to the family. The Muslim family later expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister and BJP for the gesture.
Facebook Post Sparks More Heat
Bilal Miyan posted about the incident on Facebook around 6:58 p.m. on Monday. In his original post, he explicitly mentioned that the arrangement was made under the Chief Minister’s direction. The post quickly went viral in local media.
As backlash mounted, Miyan edited the post multiple times, eventually removing any mention of the state government or CM Saha. The revised version stated:
“In light of the unfortunate incident that took place last Saturday in Udaipur (Rajnagar), a group from the minority community has made arrangements for sacrifice today.”
Jamiat Praises the Government; Others Express Outrage
While many Hindutva leaders expressed anger over the episode, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind issued a statement thanking CM Saha and Minister Paranjit Singh Roy for their intervention and support.
Congress and CPIM React
The Tripura unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress also weighed in. In a Facebook post, the CPIM shared a video and wrote:
“The BJP will go to any lengths for politics—even sacrifice their principles if needed!”
