Karnataka to table law on cow slaughter ban in next Assembly session

Bengaluru : Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan said on Tuesday that a law to ban cow slaughter, sale and consumption of beef would be tabled in the forthcoming Assembly session starting December 7.

Speaking to reporters, Chauhan said that the department has been consulting with the experts from various fields besides studying similar laws enacted by other states. "I can assure that our law will be harsher than all the other states which have enacted similar laws," he said.

Chauhan added that he has held discussions with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in this regard and he too is happy with the progress.

Yediyurappa had assured at the BJP state executive committee meeting held in Mangaluru recently that his government is committed to enact stronger laws to ban cow slaughter as well as prevent forcible conversions ('Love Jihad').

He added that once the new law comes into force, selling and consuming cow meat and slaughtering of cows will be banned completely, along with transportation of cows to other states.

"Safeguarding cows is our priority. I am very happy that this law will be piloted by me in the Assembly," he said.

In 2010, Yediyurappa in his first stint as Chief Minister had introduced the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010.

The legislation would have instituted a blanket ban on cow slaughter and consumption of beef. However, the bill did not get presidential assent and was withdrawn after the Congress returned to power in 2013.

Both the passage of the bill in 2010 and its withdrawal triggered protests by groups on the opposite spectrum of the debate on cow slaughter.

Karnataka already has the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, which permits slaughter of bulls, bullocks and buffalos that are over 12 years of age and are unfit for breeding and giving milk.