Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 6: With the new Congress government in Karnataka kicking up a controversy over re-visiting cow slaughter ban in the state, the BJP’s central leadership has demanded the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Sonia Gandhi to make the party’s stand clear on the issue.
The Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday asked the Congress if it wanted to start its term in Karnataka with a nod to cow slaughter.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi over completion of nine years of the Narendra Modi government, Rupala said Kharge and Sonia Gandhi should clarify their stand on the issue. “Do they [Congress] want their government to start its tenure with cow slaughter?” Rupala asked.
The controversy was kicked up by the Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh by stating that the State government may revisit the anti-cow-slaughter law passed by the previous BJP government. The chief minister Siddaramaiah, however, clarified that the government had not taken any decision on the issue.
Attacking the Congress, Rupala said once the Congress government took a stand, the Union government would take cognisance of the issue. He said the development had brought to the fore “the mindset of the Congress.”
Amidst a state-wide agitation launched by the BJP in Karnataka in protest against Venkatesh’s statement seeking review of the stringent anti-cow slaughter law, the chief minister said the matter would be discussed in the cabinet meeting. Siddaramaiah said there was a lack of clarity in the law brought in by the previous BJP government and that the state government would discuss it in the cabinet meeting.
He, however, said no decision was taken yet. “We will discuss it in the Cabinet. We have not decided anything yet,” he said. Venkatesh, Karnataka’s Animal Husbandry Minister, had triggered a row with his statement that – “if buffaloes can be slaughtered, why not cows?”
“The previous BJP government had brought in a bill. In that, they have allowed the slaughter of buffaloes, but have said cow slaughter should not be done. We will discuss it and decide,” he said while addressing the media. Venkatesh also suggested that slaughtering of aged cows could help tackle the challenges faced by the farmers in managing the cattle.
The BJP held state-wide protests against the minister’s statement over the past two days. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in a series of tweets, condemned Venkatesh’s statement and asked Siddaramaiah to give “appropriate advice” to his colleague.
“Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh’s statement is shocking. We condemn his statement. We Indians have an emotional connection with the cow and worship them as mother,” Bommai said. “There’s no good reason for Congress to repeal the cow slaughter bill. Congress is going against the sentiment of Hindus. They trying to disturb the communal harmony,” said BJP MLA Ashwath Narayan.
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act imposes a blanket ban on the slaughter of the cattle in the state. The only slaughter allowed is of terminally-ill cattle and buffaloes aged above 13 years.
Rupala while lauding Modi government’s contributions in the field of cow protection said it was Modi who showed the foresight and courage to create a separate Ministry for Animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries which were the backbone of the rural economy. The Union government also launched mobile veterinary units and supported States by funding 60% of recurring costs, he said, lauding the dispensation for its nationwide vaccination programme for bovines that helped remove many diseases.