Protests mark 'beef festival' in Mysore University

Mysuru: The 'beef festival' organised as part of a seminar in the city on June 25 has led to severe protests from pro-hindu groups and BJP youth wing who staged a demonstration here today. The incident occurred during seminar organised by Charavaka Social and Cultural Trust at government-owned Kalamandira here on the topic 'Food habits and people's democracy' which ran into a major controversy as beef meat was served as part of the function. The office of the Kannada and Culture Department here yesterday served a show-cause notice on the organizers asking why action cannot be taken against them for serving food at the event that violated the standard rules of the Kalamandira, which is maintained by the department.

Writer K S Bhagavan, Prof Mahesh Chandra Guru, former Mayor Purushottam, Karnataka Backward Classes Association President K S Shivaramu and others had attended the event as guests. ''The issue is not whether they ate beef or not, the issue is that food was served inside the venue, flouting the standard rules. Even if food had to be served, only vegetarian food was allowed to be served outside Kalamandira, Mr D Randeep, Deputy Commissioner, said. He added that the show-cause notice had been issued and the organisers would be restricted from holding events at Kalamandir in the future. ''As per a central government's decision, the organisation which served beef at Kalamandir has been blacklisted and their deposit amount has been seized.

Beef consumption is banned in government buildings. Such incidents will not be allowed in future,'' he said. One of the guests who attended the event maintained that besides beef and other non-vegetarian food, vegetarian food was also served on the occasion in a symbolic manner to inaugurate the valedictory of the three-day seminar. Some of the participants ate beef. The organisers had booked the hall for three days for the seminar and Sunday was the concluding day of the event.

Mr Channappa, Assistant Director, Kannada and Culture Department, clarified that the notice had been issued for a violation of rules. ''The security deposit had been confiscated and the department is planning to blacklist the organisers.'' Meanwhile Member of Parliament Pratap Simha took a jibe at the progressive thinkers who ate beef at Maneyangala of Kalamandir. ''Dr Bhagawan and Prof Guru are a shame to this society. They spoiling the harmony of the society. Though there is prohibition for eating non vegetarian in government offices, they have turned Kalamandir into non veg hotel,'' he alleged. Prof Guru being in government service has violated government rules. Governor should take action and suspend him from duties, the MP urged. (UNI)