Describing the Dadri lynching incident as “wrong” and the “result of a misunderstanding”, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Thursday “Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef” because “the cow is an article of faith here”.

Khattar, who completes one year in office later this month as the head of a BJP government, told The Indian Express in an interview that the cow, the Gita and Saraswati were articles of faith for the majority in the country, and that Muslims would not be violating their religious beliefs by giving up beef.

Listen to Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar saying Muslims have to give up beef

“Muslim rahein, magar is desh mein beef khaana chhodna hi hoga unko. Yahan ki manyata hai gau (Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef. The cow is an article of faith here),” Khattar said, responding to questions on how he viewed the Dadri incident and whether or not such incidents would communally polarise the country.

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