Agartala, Tripura – June 2025: In a striking gesture wrapped in controversy, Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha (BJP) has set off a political firestorm after personally approving the gifting of a cow for Eid al-Adha qurbani to a Muslim family in Udaipur’s Rajnagar area. This followed a confrontation between Hindutva activists and a local Muslim household attempting a traditional sacrifice during Bakrid.
🚨 Tensions on Eid: Hindutva vs. Muslim Rituals
The spark came on June 7, when a Muslim family’s cow slaughter ritual was allegedly disrupted by local Hindutva activists. The family claimed their house was raided and ransacked, and the animal taken away. The situation escalated tensions across the region, prompting intervention.
🐄 The Cow Controversy: CM’s Quiet Gesture
Acting swiftly, BJP Minority Morcha President Bilal Mia—with apparent support from CM Saha—delivered a healthy cow to the aggrieved family so they could still perform their religious rite.
“We found the family had no animal to sacrifice. As part of our Eid outreach, we arranged one. It was not a government scheme, but a humanitarian gesture.” – Bilal Mia
However, multiple insiders confirmed the CM's verbal go-ahead, and social media handles linked to the BJP initially celebrated the act, before quietly editing posts due to internal backlash.
⚔️ Hypocrisy or Harmony? BJP in Crossfire
The move, while seen as compassionate by some, is being condemned by Hindu nationalist outfits like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
“How can the same BJP that calls the cow gau mata turn around and facilitate its slaughter for votes?” – VHP functionary
This is not the first time the BJP’s stance on cow protection has come under scrutiny. But this incident hits deeper, as the party faces internal dissent and opposition fury.
🧭 Legal Loopholes & Religious Rights
Tripura’s Animal Welfare Department had previously allowed regulated animal sacrifice in private, under Islamic law. Public cow slaughter or illegal transportation remains banned.
The state now finds itself walking a tightrope between religious freedom and ideological consistency.
🗣️ Opposition Slams the Saffron Party
The CPI(M) and Congress were quick to react.
“They’ve sacrificed their ideology at the altar of vote-bank politics,” said CPI(M)’s Tapan Chakraborty. “This isn’t harmony. This is hypocrisy.”
Social media has since been flooded with memes, debates, and mixed reactions—dividing public sentiment sharply.
🌐 Political Analysis: A Calculated Gamble?
Some analysts see Dr. Saha’s move as a calculated outreach to Tripura’s 9% Muslim population, especially ahead of upcoming by-elections. Others believe it may alienate the BJP’s core Hindu base.
Tripura has often been a test bed for BJP’s minority strategy, trying to balance governance with ideology.
⚖️ Final Thoughts: Balancing Faith and Fire
Dr. Manik Saha’s cow-for-Eid gesture has become more than just a symbol of sacrifice. It’s now a symbol of the delicate dance between secular governance and ideological loyalty.
Whether it will yield electoral dividends or spark deeper fractures within the Sangh Parivar remains to be seen. But for now, one thing is clear: in Tripura, even a cow can become a political landmine.