Assam CM Flags Communal Tensions, Orders Strict Enforcement of Cattle Preservation Act

By A Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised concerns over recent incidents of communal tension in various districts following Eid celebrations, urging swift enforcement of the state’s Cattle Preservation Act to maintain public order and religious harmony.

Addressing reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said, “After Eid, a section is trying to harm communal harmony in a few places in Assam — first in Dhubri, then Lakhipur, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, and now in Hojai.” He warned that such incidents, if left unchecked, could escalate and disturb the social fabric of the state.

Referring to the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, the Chief Minister stated that the law prohibits the sale and consumption of beef within a 5-kilometre radius of Hindu temples and Namghars (traditional Assamese prayer halls). “Within a radius of 5 km, eating and selling of beef is completely prohibited,” he said, adding that district administrations have been directed to strictly impose the Act wherever necessary.

The directive comes in the wake of reported altercations and rising communal tensions in sensitive regions, especially those with mixed religious populations. Sarma emphasized that the government’s approach is aimed at preserving communal harmony and respecting religious sentiments, rather than targeting any one community.