More than 500 cattle growers and ranchers from Isfahan, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Bandar-Abbas and Golestan provinces and the city of Varamin staged a protest gathering in front of the President’s office in Tehran on Sunday, May 10th protesting the increased and irregular buffalo meat imports by the government favored dealers from India.
One of the protesters said: the irregular and unsafe import of rotten buffalo meat that even the health ministry admits being rotten and stale is done under the direction and insistence of Rouhani’s first vice president and that these bad meats are imported by through a company owned by his son-in-law. The protester added that ranchers would be remain silent while this corrupt man is pocketing money while people are getting sick. He added “we have been here from early morning to speak our rights and defend our interests. But so far 5 of the protesting ranchers have been apprehended by the security forces and we have been intimidated and frightened that if we remain and continue with our protest, we would be arrested as well.