Karnataka Assembly Passes Tough Anti Cow-slaughter Bill

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Karnataka Assembly Passes Tough Anti Cow-slaughter Bill

Legal experts say the bill by far has the most stringent clauses against cow slaughter in the country and would result in a ban on consumption of beef within the state.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Wednesday passed a tough Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2020 amid ruckus by the Opposition, mainly the Congress.

Legal experts say that the Karnataka bill by far has the most stringent clauses against cow slaughter in the country and would result in a ban on consumption of beef within the state.

The bill, which was passed without any discussion of the floor of the Assembly, stipulates stringent punishment to those who indulge in “smuggling, illegal transportation, atrocities on cows and slaughtering them”. By defining beef as any flesh of cattle, the bill will literally bring in a blanket ban on consumption of beef in the state.

When the bill becomes the law, sale and purchase of cattle for the purpose of slaughter within Karnataka and outside too will be prohibited. Transport with the intent of cattle being used in the field of agriculture or animal husbandry will be permitted. It also bans the slaughter of calves of a cow and bull, bullock, buffalo male or female and calf of a she-buffalo as well.

In what some describe as a draconian provision, the law gives powers of search and seizure to the police on the basis of “reason to believe”. Cattle thus seized will be handed over state-run organisations to care for the cattle. Penalty for slaughter will range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh per cattle and three to seven years imprisonment.

The Congress plans to pursue a legal route to oppose the law.

As the Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan tabled the bill, Congress MLAs led by the leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah trooped into the well of the House. Waving the bill, they alleged that it was not discussed for tabling in the Business Advisory Committee meeting.

However, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said he had clearly said in the meeting that important bills will be tabled on Wednesday and Thursday.

 The bill will now go to the Legislative Council for approval after which it would be sent to the Governor for his signature.

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