Modi govt's cattle sale ban in cold storage for a month

Madras High Court directs Centre to file reply in four weeks

A Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed for four weeks the Centre’s May 23 notification on the trade of cattle for slaughter even as the ruling BJP seemed firmly behind the government’s move.

The Bench of Justice M V Muralidharan and Justice C V Karthikeyan directed the Centre to file its reply in four weeks.

Selvagomathy, an activist-cum-lawyer who had had filed the PIL before the Madurai Bench, said the order would be applicable for all India, since the respondents were both state and Central governments.

Several petitions challenged the Centre’s notification, which has banned the sale or purchase of bulls, cows, and camels at animal markets for slaughter or sacrifice on religious occasions.

While there was no categorical statement from the government on a rethink, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre was examining “issues” raised by states and some organisations. The minister said the ban was issued in the backdrop of observations made by the Supreme Court and a parliamentary committee on preventing cruelty to animals, and ending illegalities such as smuggling in animal markets.

“However, subsequently some issues were raised by state governments and trade organisations. These issues are being examined by the government,” Naidu said. 

The environment ministry, which had notified the rules last week, has received 13 representations on them.

Sources said Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, who currently holds the additional charge of environment and forest, is accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Germany. A final decision is likely to be taken only after he returns, according to sources. The rules on slaughter were issued by the environment ministry under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.  

The issue continues to divide Opposition-ruled and BJP-ruled states. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted that his government was analysing the “developments” but flagged the issue of federalism as he termed it a “state subject”.

“We are assessing the impact of the Centre’s notification related to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on farmers, cattle rearers and animal market. All stakeholder interests must be protected,” he said in another tweet.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee continues to hold out against the notification. At an administrative review meeting, she told officials not to follow the Centre's notification till the state government issued a directive on it.

She, however, asked the police to take steps to stop cow smuggling in the border district of North 24-Parganas "at any cost".

In Shillong, Congress MP Vincent H Pala sent a formal petition to Modi, urging him to exempt tribal and beef-consuming states like Meghalaya from the ban.

The BJP has upped the ante on the issue. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tweeted, criticising the slaughter of a calf by Youth Congress activists and said the Congress was now a “sinking ship”.

In Kerala, the state BJP unit dared the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) to organise beef fests in front of their national headquarters in New Delhi. “Why are you not doing it there," state unit chief Kummanam Rajasekharan said. 

Beef fests were held in various parts of Kerala to protest the ban. The issue is likely to keep simmering in Kerala BJP chief Amit Shah is set to visit the state for three days from June 2. On Tuesday, BJP workers protested outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi.

Senior Congress leader A K Antony on Tuesday termed "unfortunate" the slaughter of a calf by Youth Congress workers in public view in Kannur district to protest the ban.

Meanwhile, the industry continued to raise its voice against the diktat. “In the short term there would not be any impact on milk supplies but if the situation remains as it is, it could lead to drop in milk production as farmers would not rear cattle for dairying,” said Kuldeep Saluja, managing director, Sterling Agro Industries, makers of the Nova brand of milk.