Updated: December 10, 2020 6:51:13 pm
The bill provides for the prohibition of all forms of livestock slaughter and severe punishment for offenders.
The BJP-led government in Karnataka past Karnataka’s draft law for the prevention of slaughter and preservation of livestock (2020) in the Assembly on December 9 amid strong opposition from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).
The bill provides for the prohibition of all forms of livestock slaughter and severe punishment for offenders.
Is the bill completely new on its own?
No. The 2020 bill is a revised version of a law passed by the BJP when it was in power in 2010. It was introduced in an attempt to ban all forms of cattle slaughter by recommending strict penalties for violators. .
However, as cited by the top leaders of the ruling party in Karnataka, prescribed punishments have been intensified and the new bill emphasizes a total ban on any kind of slaughter of livestock.
What happened to the 2010 bill?
The 2010 bill was passed when the BJP was in power with BS Yediyurappa as chief minister. It was shelved in 2013 by the Congressional government led by Siddaramaiah after the bill failed to obtain the governor’s consent.
Then Congress had reverted to the less stringent Cow Slaughter Prevention and Animal Preservation Act of 1964, which allowed for the slaughter of cows with certain restrictions.
The 1964 law allowed the slaughter of oxen, buffalo, male or female, if the competent authority certified that they were older than 12 years, incapacitated for reproduction or considered sick. That law had prohibited the slaughter of any buffalo cow or calf.
What has the bill against cow slaughter been reintroduced?
Demanding a total ban on the slaughter of cows in the state, the BJP’s cow protection cell in the state had written to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa requesting the reintroduction of the 2010 bill. According to party sources, the discussions on the legal validity of the same began a few weeks later. 📣 Follow Express explained on Telegram
Meanwhile, days before the winter session began, on December 7, in Karnataka’s Vidhana Soudha, Livestock Minister Prabhu Chauhan had set up a committee to study various aspects related to similar laws in force in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh as well.
How are “beef” and “cattle” defined in the latest Karnataka bill?
While ‘beef’ is defined as the meat of cattle in any form, the word ‘cattle’ is defined as ‘cow, calf and bull, ox and buffalo under thirteen years of age’. The bill also names the shelters established for the protection and preservation of livestock registered with the Department of Livestock and Fisheries as “gau shalas.”
Who has the power to search?
Police officers with the rank of sub-inspector or higher or a competent authority will have the power to search the facilities and confiscate the livestock and materials used or intended to commit the crime. Said seizures, if any, shall be reported to the Magistrate of the subdivision without undue delay.
What are the penalties?
By calling the slaughter of cows a recognizable crime, offenders can carry three to seven years in prison. While a penalty of between Rs 50,000 and Rs 5 lakhs may be imposed for the first offense, the second and subsequent offenses may carry penalties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
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