Cows are like members of family, it's a crime to kill them: Karnataka Minister

Cows were like a member of the family and it was a ‘crime’ to kill them, Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar on Sunday said as the BJP government in the state is mulling bringing back the anti-cow slaughter law. He also said cow dung acts as a disinfectant, recalling his family had a few cows in the past.

Terming cow slaughter a ‘sin’, the minister said he would request Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to ban the slaughtering of the animal in the state. “Cow is like a member of the family and its a crime to kill cows,” Sudhakar said at the inauguration of ‘Goshala’ (a shelter for cows) in Chikkaballapura, a release from his office said.

Also, there was a need for people’s movement to create awareness against cow slaughtering, he said, adding “being Indians, all state governments should ban cow slaughtering.”

Noting that cows were “worshipped in our culture”, Sudhakar said, a detailed discussion on banning export of beef was required in both Houses of the Legislature. “Our party is committed to ban beef exports, there will be a decision soon on this,” he said.

Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan had recently said the state would soon implement a ban on cow slaughter, sale and consumption of beef in line with other states.

Once the COVID-19 crisis eases, an expert committee would be constituted to look into the matter, and if need be, it will visit states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh to study about the implementation of the ban there, he had said. The BJP in its manifesto for the 2018 assembly election had promised prohibition of cow slaughter.

Despite resistance from the opposition, the then BJP government led by BS Yediyurappa in 2010 had got the controversial Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill passed, proposing to replace the Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964.

The bill had widened the definition of ‘cattle’ and imposed a blanket ban on cattle slaughter, coupled with stringent penalty clauses for violation. However, the Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah that came to power in 2013 withdrew the bill that was pending before the President for his assent.

After the BJP came back to power in the state, several party leaders have been making a pitch to re-enact the anti- cow slaughter law.