The CPI(M) today termed the Centre's recent notification relating to cattle slaughter as "encroachment" upon the powers of the states and demanded revoking of the "unilateral" decision.
The Left party also claimed that the notification was the "contempt" of the Supreme Court's (SC's) stay on the Himachal Pradesh High Court's order for a national ban on cow slaughter.
The CPI(M) has been up in arms against the move with the party-led government in Kerala even planning to bring together chief ministers of various states to oppose the "anti-federal" move.
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"The rights of the state are being encroached upon. This (the issue cattle/cattle slaughter) is a subject under the state list of the Indian Constitution.
"The Centre cannot promulgate any law or legislation on this," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
Politburo member Brinda Karat, who accompanied Yechury during the briefing, observed the main act concerning animal protection does not ban slaughter for consumption.
Therefore, she contended, that rules relating to the law cannot go ahead of the act itself.
"The Himachal Pradesh HC's order for a national ban on cow slaughter was stayed by the SC in January this year. Now to circumvent the SC's stay order, this government has now brought a ban on the sale of the cattle for slaughter," she said.
The Centre on May 26 banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is likely to hit exports and trade of meat and leather.
It also prohibited practices that are cruel to animals including painting of horns and putting ornaments or decorative materials on them.
The environment ministry has notified the stringent 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017' under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
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