No pork and beef: Only 'halal' meat for Indian cricketers
Kanpur, Nov 23: A row involving the BCCI erupted on Tuesday after it emerged that only 'halal' meat has been recommended for the Indian cricketers during their stay in Kanpur for the series-opening Test against New Zealand.
The catering and menu document, in possession of PTI, also mentions categorically that no pork or beef should be part of any food in any form or variety.
BJP spokesperson and advocate Gaurav Goel demanded immediate withdrawal of the recommendation.
"The players can eat whatever they want but who has given BCCI the right to introduce 'halal' meat. This is illegal and we will not allow it," Goel said in a video posted from his twitter handle.
"This decision is not right. It should be withdrawn immediately."
None of the BCCI officials, contacted by the PTI, was ready to speak about the document, which is believed to be prepared by the support staff and medical team keeping the dietary requirements in mind.
Usually Hindus and Sikhs prefer 'jhatka' meat while Muslims largely prefer 'halaal'.
In the Halal form of slaughter, animals are killed with a cut to the jugular vein and are left till the blood drains out completely. In the jhatka method, the animal is killed instantaneously.
A former India cricketer said exclusion of beef and pork items is not surprising though it was never documented before.
"During my time in the team, I have never seen any beef or pork items being served on match days in the dressing room. At least, never in India. So I don't think apart from putting pen to paper, anything new has been done," the cricketer told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"Before anyone tries to read between the lines, beef, with its excessive fat content just like goat meat isn't advisable for cricketers.
"We were always advised to have lean protein which is generally grilled chicken and fish," he said.
In the menu, there are two kinds of meat items listed -- chicken and lamb. The non-vegetarian items listed include roasted chicken, roasted lamb, lamb chops in black pepper sauce, murg yakhni, chicken thai curry, marinated grilled chicken, Goan fish curry, tangri kebabs and stir fried vegetables with chicken in garlic sauce.
The series-opener is slated to begin in Kanpur from Thursday while the second Test will be played in Mumbai from December 3.
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Swamiji fires gun into the air in Kalaburagi village, video goes viral
Kalaburagi: An incident involving a swamiji firing a gun into the air has been reported from Udachan village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district. The act, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.
The swamiji has been identified as Sri Shantalinga Shivacharya, pontiff of the Hiremath of Sri Shankaralingeshwara Samsthana. According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening within the premises of the math, where the swamiji allegedly fired a single-barrel gun into the air.
This is not the first time the swami has courted controversy. Last year, he was reportedly found driving erratically under the influence of alcohol in Salotagi village of neighbouring Indi taluk, following which members of the public confronted him. He later fled from the math, sources said.
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More recently, during the annual fair of the Sri Shankaralingeshwara Math in Udachan village, the swami had arrived at the village with police protection, claiming to be the rightful pontiff of the math. Despite opposition from villagers, he reportedly went ahead and conducted rituals related to the fair.
The latest incident of firing the gun into the air has triggered criticism, especially after the video surfaced online. Further action, if any, is awaited from the authorities.
