Stand on Cow Slaughter in North-East Not Connected to UP: BJP

Shillong: The BJP on Tuesday said its stand on cow slaughter in Meghalaya and other north-eastern states was not connected to its crackdown on illegal abattoirs in Uttar Pradesh.

"This (cow slaughter ban) is an issue of a specific state, Uttar Pradesh, and is not even remotely connected to the party's stand on the issue in Meghalaya in particular, or in any tribal-dominated state in the north-east," state BJP chief Shibun Lyngdoh told PTI.

The crackdown in Uttar Pradesh was only against the illegal slaughterhouses, he said, adding, "That does not mean a blanket ban across the country."

"Our stand since the 2014 (general) election has been the same, to provide overall development to the people who have been neglected by the other parties for so long. Our manifesto is very clear -- give us vote and we will bring development and peace," Lyngdoh said.

He accused the Congress and other rival political parties of "spreading false information" about the BJP in Meghalaya.

"The rival parties try to sabotage the BJP with cheap tactics such as spreading rumours against it, whereas they in fact are under pressure. We are a force to reckon with for our pro-people policies and anti-corruption stand," Lyngdoh said.

He added that while every party is free to campaign and ask for votes from the people, the voters these days are not "blind or deaf" anymore.

"You cannot mislead the voters now. Television has reached the cornermost parts of the states and the people are smarter," the BJP leader said, adding that those spreading false information will be questioned by the people.

Such a propaganda, he said, was not new for the BJP in Congress-ruled Meghalaya, where in the last by-polls, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's wife was warned by the Election Commission for trying to promote "hate" through a speech laced with religious and tribal connotations to warn the voters against NPP-BJP alliance candidate Conrad K Sangma.

Taking a dig at the ruling Congress party in Meghalaya, Lyngdoh said it cannot deny its involvement in various past corruption charges by brushing them aside as rumours.

"People in Meghalaya have been looking for an alternative government, free of corruption and scandals, for a very long time. We are that alternative corruption-free party with a mission to achieve overall development," he said.

Assembly polls are slated to be held in Meghalaya early next year, along with Nagaland and Mizoram.