The statement, gelling well with BJP's oft-repeated commitment to cow protection, created much flutter on the social media with comments both in support of and against the statement.
However, a perusal of last three years' data on cattle smuggling shows there has been no special drive by BSF against illicit trade. In fact, during the NDA regime figures for arrest of smugglers and seizure of cattle have dropped.
According to data provided by BSF to the home ministry, the border guarding force apprehends about 1.2 lakh smuggled cattle on an average every year. This has largely remained unchanged in the past three years. If anything, it recorded a drop in 2014.
In 2012, BSF arrested 285 smugglers and seized 1,20,724 cattle. This increased to 421 smugglers and 1,22,000 cattle the next year. In 2014, it dropped to 386 smugglers and 1,09,999 cattle. NDA ruled the Centre through greater part of 2014. Even in January, 2015, the figures (52 smugglers and 12,835 cattle) do not point any exponential rise in seizures.
Asked if BSF had provided the minister with actual figures before he made the statement, an officer replied in the negative. A home ministry official said, "It is a routine that whenever a home minister visits the forces, he praises it. It helps boost the morale of the troops. The current home minister is a well-wisher of the forces and has been doing a lot for them. Whatever he spoke that day was more out of sentiment."
Addressing BSF troops at Angrail in West Bengal earlier this month, Singh was quoted by agencies as having said, "I am told prices of beef in Bangladesh have gone up by 30% recently due to heightened vigil by BSF against cattle smuggling. You further intensify your vigil so that the cattle smuggling stops completely and prices of beef in Bangladesh escalates 70 to 80 per cent more so that people of Bangladesh give up eating beef."
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