Owaisi Targets Modi Government Over Beef Exports, Surat Fish Market Naming Row
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has targeted the Narendra Modi-led government over its position on beef and fish consumption.
Owaisi questioned what he described as a contradiction in the government’s approach to beef exports. He alleged that political arguments against beef consumption coexist with a strong export business.
“Advocating beef ban, but India remains world’s largest beef exporter; it’s the lure of dollars,” Owaisi said, according to a statement reported by PTI.
However, available trade data needs an important clarification. India is not currently the world’s largest beef exporter. India is a major exporter of buffalo meat, commonly called carabeef. Recent data places India third globally in bovine meat exports, behind Brazil and Australia.
Owaisi Questions Beef Policy
The AIMIM leader used India’s meat export trade to question the government’s policy approach.
His remarks come amid continuing political debates over cattle slaughter, beef consumption and meat exports in India.
India’s buffalo meat exports reached about $5.1 billion in 2025-26, according to recent reports. Exports rose 25.6% during the financial year.
The distinction between cattle beef and buffalo meat is significant. India’s export industry largely deals in buffalo meat rather than cow meat.
Surat Fish Market Named After PM Modi
Owaisi also referred to the controversy surrounding a newly built wholesale fish market in Surat, Gujarat.
A board at the market carried the name “Shree Narendra Modi Wholesale Fish Market.” The board also displayed the Prime Minister’s photograph.
The market is located in the Nanpura-Lakkadkot area of Surat. It was built by the Surat Municipal Corporation.
The facility received assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). It can accommodate around 80 wholesale fish outlets.
The naming has triggered a dispute among local fish traders.
Some traders reportedly objected to associating Modi’s name with a fish market. The Surat Fish Merchant Association, however, defended the proposed name.
Civic Approval Yet to Be Completed
The Surat Municipal Corporation has clarified that the naming process is not yet officially complete.
According to the civic body, the traders’ association had submitted a request seeking approval for the name. The board was reportedly installed before a formal resolution was passed.
Following objections, the board was covered with a white sheet.
The controversy has since drawn political attention, with Owaisi using the episode to question the government’s approach to food choices and public policy.
Political Row Intensifies
Owaisi’s remarks are likely to add another layer to the ongoing political debate over food habits, cattle policy and religious sensitivities in India.
His comments also come as the Surat fish market naming dispute continues to generate attention.
The immediate issue in Surat is not a formal ban on fish. Instead, it concerns the proposed naming of a civic fish market after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the absence of final official approval.
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Fact-check note: Owaisi’s “world’s largest beef exporter” claim has been retained as his allegation, but the article clarifies that India is currently a major buffalo-meat exporter and ranks third in bovine meat exports.