Ensure action against illegal slaughterhouses, HC to Maharashtra govt
Mumbai, Oct 9: The Bombay High Court Tuesday said authorities cannot prevent slaughtering of animals in totality, but they can ensure action is taken against shops slaughtering illegally and without license.
A division bench headed by Justice S C Dharmadhikari said it is for the Maharashtra government to ensure there is no breach of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Food Safety and Standards Act.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by one Ajay Marathe raising concerns over illegal abattoirs operating across the city.
The petition sought directions to the municipal corporations for following an ethical procedure like rendering the animals unconscious before slaughtering them.
"The authorities cannot prevent slaughter completely because ultimately it is food but they (authorities) can take action if there is any violation of the concerned acts or if any shop is slaughtering without licence," Justice Dharmadhikari said.
Stating that the matter concerns public health and safety, the court said it is for the state government to ensure that provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Food Safety and Standards Act are not breached.
"We are concerned about public health and safety. Those persons who consume (meat) should not suffer. There are several places in the city where we see slaughter shops throwing carcasses and garbage on the roads and people are not even able to walk near those places," Justice Dharmadhikari said.
"This is something that should not be tolerated," he added.
BMC counsel Anil Sakhare told the court that the civic body has been conducting periodical checks on such erring shops.
"From March 2014 to 2017, around 700 FIRs have been lodged against shops carrying out slaughter without requisite permission," he said.
The bench directed the BMC to file an affidavit on this and also asked the state government to take up the issue with every municipal corporation and district council.
The petition will be next heard on November 2.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
