Bill to regulate slaughter, transportation of cattle tabled in Assam Assembly
Guwahati, Jul 12: The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government on Monday tabled a bill in the Assam Assembly which seeks to ban cattle slaughter and sale of beef in parts of the state where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in a majority.
It also makes transportation of cattle from one district to another and outside Assam illegal in the absence of proper documentation.
Offences under the new proposed law - Assam Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 - will be non-bailable.
Sarma, after introducing the bill, said the "new legislation seeks to ensure that permission for slaughter wasn't granted in areas that are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef-eating communities or places that fall within five-kilometre radius of a temple, satra, and any other institution as maybe prescribed by the authorities".
Exemptions might be granted for certain religious occasions, he said.
The chief minister further said that there was an imperative need to enact a new legislation and repeal the earlier Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950 which lacked sufficient legal provisions to regulate the slaughter consumption and transportation of cattle in the state.
The law, when enacted, will further prohibit a person from slaughtering cattle unless he has obtained the necessary certificate issued by the registered veterinary officer of a particular area.
According to the bill, the veterinary officer will issue a certificate only if he is of the opinion that the bovine, not being a cow, is over 14 years of age.
A cow, heifer or calf may be slaughtered only it is permanently incapacitated, it said.
Also, duly licensed or recognised slaughter houses will be allowed to butcher cattle, the bill maintained.
There will, however, be no restriction on ferrying cattle for agricultural purposes within a district.
One does not need to take permission for transporting cattle to and from registered animal markets for the purpose of sale and purchase within a district.
Anybody found guilty of violating the law shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years or fine that may vary between Rs 3 lakh and Rs five lakh or both. If someone convicted under the new law is found guilty of the same or a related offence the second time, the punishment will be doubled.
The legislation shall extend to the whole of the state and the term 'cattle' shall apply to bulls, bullocks, cows, heifer, calves, male and female buffaloes and buffalo calves.
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Go to EC or courts: BJP state chief on allegations regarding Suresh Gopi's 2024 LS win
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Wednesday said any illegality in connection with the election of a candidate during polls should be raised before the Election Commission or the courts, "instead of spreading lies to fool and provoke the public".
Chandrasekhar's remarks came in the wake of Congress and CPI allegations that Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi filed a false declaration during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and that his victory from Thrissur constituency was due to voter list manipulation.
The Congress, a day ago, alleged that the Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism submitted a false declaration to be included in the voters' list for the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.
The grand old party has lodged a complaint with the police demanding registration of a criminal case against him.
Prior to that, CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar, on Monday, alleged that there was clear manipulation in the electoral roll, which facilitated Gopi's victory in the Thrissur constituency.
Gopi had won the Thrissur seat by a significant margin of over 74,000 votes, defeating Kumar and Congress candidate K Muraleedharan in a closely fought three-cornered contest.
On Wednesday, Chandrasekhar questioned the veracity of the allegations by saying that these claims were being raised one-and-a-half year after Gopi won in the LS polls.
The BJP leader also said that such issues should be raised before the Election Commission or the courts by filing a complaint or election petition.
"They do not do that. Instead, they try to provoke the public by telling lies or try to divert people's attention by their propaganda. It is all a show," he claimed.
He alleged that such dramas are being done by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan as elections approach.
Meanwhile, Gopi reached Thrissur and met a BJP worker who was injured in a protest on Tuesday.
After arriving at Thrissur railway station, the minister did not respond to reporters' queries about the Congress and CPI allegations.
At the hospital, he only said, "Thanks for helping so much". It was not clear to whom he was referring to.
On Tuesday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to carry out a re-election in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, in the wake of reports of widespread voters' list manipulation.
