Anti-cow slaughter bill passed in Karnataka Assembly amid din
Bengaluru: Amid bedlam, the controversial anti-cow slaughter bill was passed in the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday, with the Congress members staging a walkout in protest.
The bill known as the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill-2020 seeks a total ban on the slaughter of cows in the state and stringent punishment to those who indulge in smuggling, illegal transportation, atrocities on cows and slaughtering them, BJP sources said.
"Yes, the bill has been passed in the Assembly," Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy told PTI.
Besides cows and calves, the bill also intends to protect buffaloes and their calves less than 12 years of age.
There is a provision to set up special courts for the speedy trial of the accused people.
It also makes provision for setting up Goshala or cattle-sheds for the protection of livestock. Police have been given powers to conduct checking.
The law also gives protection to those who protect these livestock. The bill was passed without any discussion as there was din in the House. The Congress later staged a walkout in protest.
Earlier, when Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan tabled the bill in the evening, Congress MLAs led by leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah trooped into the well of the House.
They alleged the bill was not discussed for tabling in the Business Advisory Committee meeting.
"We had discussed yesterday that new bills will not be tabled.We had agreed that only the ordinances will be passed.
Now he (Prabhu Chavan) has all-of-a-sudden introduced this anti-cow slaughter bill," Siddaramaiah said.
However, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said he had clearly said in the meeting that important bills will be tabled on Wednesday and Thursday.
Not convinced with the reply, the Congress MLAs trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the BJP government.
The Congress has expressed fears that the bill, if passed, may be misused for polarisation on communal lines and target the minorities.
On the other hand, the BJP has been saying the bill is to protect the cows which are holy to the Hindus.
To make the provisions of the proposed law stringent, Chavan had referred to similar laws in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
A team of officials led by Chavan had recently visited Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where the law has been enacted, to study its implementation.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata, 3 cops injured
Kolkata (PTI): A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala turned violent on Sunday as demonstrators hurled stones at police personnel in the minority-dominated Park Circus area, injuring at least three officials and damaging several vehicles.
The flare-up came days after bulldozers rolled into Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following the factory fire that killed two persons earlier this week.
On Sunday afternoon, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads, police said.
As police tried to disperse, what they described as an "unlawful assembly", a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised, officials said.
Heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action has already been initiated against those involved in the violence.
"Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters.
"We have already arrested a few people," he said.
The officer said police followed standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
"There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.
While the police maintained the agitation was linked to administrative action against illegal buildings, some locals claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata's Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense briefly.
Members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality, while the administration maintained that keeping roads clear was necessary for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, did not indicate any direct connection between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday's violence in Park Circus.
Authorities also did not immediately disclose the number of persons arrested in Sunday's clashes or whether any protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
