Bengaluru: Karnataka has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to reconsider the decision to ban on sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter stating that it would have a far reaching negative impact on the Indian society and economy.
Terming the decision as ‘unconstitutional’ and it would have a adverse impact on the society and economy, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a letter to Mr Modi urged him to have a fresh look into the issue keeping the interest of the farmers and society.
Mr Siddaramaiah said that “the said rules prescribe certain restrictions on the cattle trade. I would like to bring to your kind attention that these rules are unconstitutional and will have a far reaching negative impact on the Indian society and economy.
The Chief Minister further said that the rules should have been introduced after a detailed consultation with the States. “The absence of efforts to take the States into confidence on such an important matter hits at the very roots of federalism,” he added.
Stating that the rules, if implemented in their letter and spirit, would ‘defeat the very purpose’ of certain sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Siddaramaiah said the rules pertaining to the constitution of Animal Market Monitoring Committees and Animal Market Committees would ‘disturb a well established structure’, which was in accordance with the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act.
The rules that mandated providing documentary proof that the cattle would only be traded for agricultural or domestic purposes would subject the farmers to an additional financial burden, thereby contributing further to the agrarian crisis, he said, citing the case of old and unproductive cattle.
He said the state already had the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 to deal with these issues and pointed out the areas where the rules were ‘in contravention’ with the provisions of the state law.
Stating that the rules also indirectly prohibited the sale of animals outside the state which, he said it was against the provision of the Constitution, which allowed a free trade of livestock.
Thus, the rules interfered with a subject on the State List, without the consent of the state government, Siddaramaiah added. Underlining that meat was a key source of protein for the poor, he said it was consumed by people of all the faiths and not only by the minorities and Dalits. (UNI)
