Maulana Mohammad Shafiq Qasemi, the imam of Kolkata’s historic Nakhoda Mosque, has urged Muslims in West Bengal to refrain from sacrificing cows during Eid al-Adha and to stop eating beef altogether. In an interview with news agency PTI, he advised Muslims to choose goats as an alternative for sacrifice, emphasizing that avoiding cow slaughter would prevent harm to Hindu families involved in the dairy trade.

Qasemi explained that many Hindu families invest their savings in raising cows and sell them during Eid. If Muslims stop buying cows for sacrifice, those families could face financial losses. His appeal comes amid heightened sensitivity around cow slaughter in the state.

Last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal issued a directive prohibiting the slaughter of cows and buffaloes without prior permission, effectively tightening control over beef sales. The issue of cow sacrifice and beef consumption has recently intensified religious, social, and political debates in the state.