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Buffalo meat was on Wednesday back on the menu of the Kerala House in New Delhi and was lapped up by the lunch-time crowd as the items that were briefly discontinued following a row that saw police carry out a raid at the canteen were sold out within "45 minutes".
The "sold out" tag quietly came up on the menu board much to the dismay of many who had thronged the eatery, a day after the state-run guest house had removed "buff", or buffalo meat" amidst a political row.
Interestingly, an English menu board placed at the counter of the restaurant announced that 'Meat Fry' and 'Meat Curry', with 'Buffalo' mentioned in brackets, was available on Wednesday.
The message was put up seemingly in a bid to clear the air over the controversy and emphasise that only buffalo meat is being served here and not cow meat as alleged by a member of a fringe right-wing group.
"We are serving buffalo meat today and we have been offering only buffalo meat in the past as well. There is no truth in allegations that cow meat is served here," said Sudeesh, a member of the Staff Canteen Managing Committee.
A canteen staffer, who did not want to be named, said that buffalo meat fry and curry was served between 12.45 pm and 1.30 pm.
"Our prepared stock was enough to serve 150 persons during the lunch hours," he said.
The eatery, 'Samridhi', mainly caters to the office crowd of Central Delhi. But, interestingly, Wednesday's crowd profile suggested that the controversy had drawn a large number of youths to the eatery.
Another Canteen Managing Committee member said that they stopped serving buffalo meat after the controversy on Monday evening, but the item made a re-entry today following clearance from Kerala government.
Restaurant sources said that, on an average, anywhere between 60 and 70 plates of buffalo meat are sold daily at Rs 50 each.
Meanwhile, visitors expressed happiness over buffalo meat making a come back.
Rajeev Mohan, a native of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala who works in the national capital and one of the first visitors to taste buffalo curry today, said that he enjoyed the dish.
Aby Mathew, who is associated with 'Voice Against Beef Ban in India' and is a resident of Kozhikode, said he had rushed to New Delhi after the controversy over beef erupted two days ago.
"I am so happy that the serving of buffalo meat has resumed here. It is our right (to consume the dish)," he added.
Among the youths who had turned up at the canteen for lunch was one student belonging to a prestigious Delhi University college who said that the row over the menu had "compelled him to come and taste the buffalo meat here".
Controversy had erupted over Delhi police personnel entering Kerala House on October 26 following a complaint that cow meat was being served there.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal had condemned the "raid" even as buffalo meat was taken off the state-run guest house's menu on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta was arrested by police on Wednesday evening on an apprehension of causing a breach of peace and tranquillity, two days after his complaint about beef being served at Kerala House in New Delhi sparked a row.
"Gupta has been arrested under Sections 107/151 CrPC in the evening. He was taken to RMLHospital for a medical examination before his arrest as per protocol," said DCP (New Delhi) Jatin Narwal.
Also on Wednesday, Delhi top cop BS Bassi said he has submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry regarding the Kerala House incident but refrained from disclosing the details.
Police had detained Gupta around 11 am and subjected him to intensive questioning in connection with his alleged false complaint that beef was being served at the Kerala House canteen. After arrest, Gupta was produced before a court, said a senior official.
Kerala CM mulls legal action against Delhi Police
The Congress-led United Democratic Front government in Kerala on Wednesday threatened to take legal action over police ‘raid’ at Kerala House in New Delhi on complaints of cow meat being served there, if the “mistake” is not admitted, and said that it has affected Centre-state relations.
The state cabinet at its meeting discussed the issue and decided to take legal course if the Centre also sticks to the explanation given by Delhi police that “they only did their duty and carried out an inspection in accordance with the law”, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters.
“The raid conducted without the permission of state officials at the state-run official guest house crossed all limits of propriety, violated law and also affected the Centre-state relation,” he said.
The version of the Delhi police on the raid was “not at all acceptable to the state and we are waiting for the reply to the letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue. Kerala will take legal action if the reply from the Centre also collaborate’s with the stand taken by the Delhi police on the matter,” Chandy added.
Chandy thanked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for their support to Kerala’s stand on the issue.
He alleged that the raid was a “deliberate attempt to please somebody” and also to trigger fear in the minds of people.
“Police came to Kerala House even without verifying the credential of the complainant,” Chandy said.
Hitting out at the Delhi police, Chandy said that the incident has affected India’s federal system. However, he further added “Kerala is ready to take a moderate view if the mistake is admitted.”
However, he refused to be drawn into the row over the need for ban on cow slaughter in the country saying “it is available in Kerala”.
Asked whether beef row would have any political impact on the civic polls next month, Chandy said that the people of Kerala “notice everything and there is no need for any explanation to be given to them.”
Photograph: Atul Yadav/PTI Photo