'Because People Eat Meat...': IIT Mandi Director's Bizarre Logic Behind Landslides, Cloudbursts In Himachal Pradesh

New Delhi: IIT Mandi Director, Laxmidhar Behera, has sparked a fresh controversy by asking his students to pledge against consuming meat while suggesting a link between animal cruelty and natural disasters like landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh. "Himachal Pradesh will face severe consequences if we do not cease the slaughter of animals. Innocent animals are being butchered there, and this has a symbiotic relationship with environmental degradation, which may not be apparent now but is indeed present," Behera stated while addressing students. A video of his speech has circulated on social media.

‘Himachal Pradesh will see a significant downfall if people don’t stop eating meat’ - Lakshmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi.pic.twitter.com/woxagfOmJ0

— Diksha Verma (@dikshaaverma) September 7, 2023

He further urged students to refrain from consuming meat, citing it as a step toward becoming better human beings. Behera did not respond to the ensuing controversy. His remarks received criticism from online users.

Sandeep Manudhane, an entrepreneur and IIT Delhi alumnus expressed, "The collapse is complete. These superstitious fools will destroy whatever little was built in 70 years." Gautam Menon, a biophysics professor, commented, "In the current dispensation, having views like those of the director of IIT Mandi featured here is a feature, not a bug. It's simply sad."

However, this is not the first instance where Behera has sparked controversy with his statements. Last year, he made headlines for claiming involvement in an exorcism to rid his friend's apartment and family of "evil spirits" by chanting "holy mantras."