Under pressure to bring 2010 anti-cow slaughter bill, BJP forms team to study beef ban laws

Bengaluru: Gau Samrakshana Prakoshta, Bharatiya Janata Party’s cow protection cell in Karnataka, on Thursday petitioned to Chief Minister Yediyurappa re-enact the 2010 anti-cow slaughter bill and strengthen its provisions.

Under pressure to bring back the earlier bill, which was withdrawn by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2013 the ruling BJP has formed an internal party team to study laws pertaining to the ban on cattle slaughter enacted by other states. The team is expected to visit states that enacted laws similar to 2010 anti-cow slaughter bill of Karnataka and submit its report to the state government.

In 2010, when Yediyurappa was the chief minister, the BJP government had passed a bill in both the houses, pressing for stringent laws for cattle slaughter. The bill proposed to replace the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964.

Later in 2013, the Congress government withdrew the controversial bill while restoring the 1964 Act that allowed slaughter of bulls, bullocks and buffaloes if they were aged over 12 years or if they were unfit for breeding or did not give milk.

The bill, if taken u, is likely to put a ban on all cattle slaughter including buffaloes in Karnataka.