Beef has been wiped off restaurant menus across Mumbai after its state government said it will now enforce laws making possession of the meat and the slaughter of cows illegal . But steak and kidney pie will continue to be served up at one of India 's oldest British Raj-era clubs in defiance of the ban . The law was passed by the state of Maharashtra around 20 years ago , but not implemented until now by a new Hindu nationalist administration . Still on the menu : The British Raj-era Royal Bombay Yacht Club ( above ) in Mumbai has vowed to continue serving steak and kidney pies despite a state-wide ban on the possession of beef or the slaughter of cows . Violators could face a fine and up to five years in prison . Residents expressed outrage on Twitter using the hashtag # BanBeef - which topped the social network 's trends , appearing more than 22,000 times in less than 24 hours . But panicked steak lovers will have a safe haven at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club , Mumbai , which will continue to serve its steak and kidney pies to customers . The 170-year-old club has said it will keep steak on the menu by sticking to its original recipes using 'buff ' - buffalo meat - rather than beef for the pies . Club president Ardhendu Bose felt pessimistic about the ban until he realised that the leaner buffalo meat used in their recipes would leave the club 's menu intact , he told the Daily Telegraph . On Wednesday night , the club served both steak and kidney and steak and onion pies , with parsley potatoes and sautéed cauliflower to reassured customers . ' I spoke to my vice president and said `` we should do something , we do n't want to get into trouble '' . 'But he said buffalo is allowed , so we 'll carry on as usual ' , he said . Loophole : The 170-year-old club has said it will keep steak on the menu by sticking to its original recipes using 'buff ' - buffalo meat - rather than beef for the pies . The 112-year-old Taj Mahal Palace Hotel removed beef from the menus on Wednesday , according to chief sommelier Abhas Saxena - including its 'really sought-after ' Chateaubriand steak . Mr Saxena said : 'Beef has been on the hotel 's menu for many years . 'Our signature restaurants were affected by the ban so we will have to look again at the dynamics of their menus . 'Our Chateaubriand , the tornado - a cut of meat - the tenderloin , the veal , all of that has been removed . It will definitely affect our business . ' He added : 'We still need to understand the thought process behind the ban . 'There are many segments of society being affected by this - from the folks who grow the cattle , to us who would be selling it . ' Hindus , who make up 80 per cent of India 's 1.2billion population , consider cows sacred . But large numbers of the population - particularly the extremes of the international elite and the poor - eat beef .
Ban passed 20 years ago , but only enacted now by new Hindu nationalists . Makes it illegal to have beef or slaughter cows which are sacred to Hindus . 170-year-old Royal Bombay Yacht Club says it will continue with its menu . Comment: