Name cow national animal, ban beef export: Muslims at Chhattisgarh meet

RAIPUR: A section of the Muslim community in Chhattisgarh has demanded cow be declared India's national animal and beef export be banned in the wake of increasing incidents of violence by cow vigilantes. They also demanded a CBI probe into killing of three truck drivers by alleged cow vigilantes in Arang on June 7.
These demands were raised during a large community gathering held in Raipur on Thursday where representatives from across the state voiced their concerns about the "injustice" being faced by the community.
Hussaini Sena national president and meeting organiser, Rahil Raufi, told TOI that this was the first time the Muslim community in Chhattisgarh has organised such a large assembly.
He told reporters after the meeting that the primary focus of the meeting was the Arang incident, where three Muslim men from Uttar Pradesh were "brutally beaten and thrown into Mahanadi riverbed after being accused of smuggling cows".
He said lack of concrete action by Chhattisgarh police has caused widespread outrage within the community.
Community members expressed the view that a ban on beef exports and declaring cow as the national animal could prevent incidents like the one in Arang. They argued that those in the beef export business are often involved in transporting cows, leading to such incidents.
"We demand CBI investigation into the Arang murder case. We see it as a murder case rather than an incident of mob lynching," Raufi asserted. The community also wants stern action against those posting obscene, derogatory and inciting content on social media that could disturb peace and harmony.