Where the entire nation is engaged in the debate over eating beef or not, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP Leader, Pema Khandu, opposed the Union Government’s decision of putting a ban on cow slaughter on Friday.
The Chief Minister told CNN-News 18 that the centre will have to relook on the decision of banning sales of cattle for slaughtering in accordance with the states.
He said, “I consume beef myself. There is nothing wrong with that”.
“Senior BJP Leader and Minister, Venkaiah Naidu has issued a statement that he will hold consultations with states and relook the ban on cattle sale”.
Adding further Khandu mentioned, “Not just Arunachal, the Northeast as a whole is tribal dominated who are mostly non-vegetarian”.
The Gazette notification by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was issued in May. It was the Indian Parliament that enacted The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The act through Section 11 criminalises cruel treatment of animals by listing a wide range of activities. It declares that killing an animal for food will not be an offence unless it is accompanied by the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering.
Read more: Cows up for sale on OLX, Quikr after Government bans selling cattle for slaughter
However, the new notification is contrary to the parent legislation which has led to widespread protests, especially from Kerala and West Bengal where there Chief Ministers of all the three states issued strong statements against the ban.
In Tamil Nadu, the situation turned into violence in IIT-Madras where Sooraj, a PhD scholar was attacked by alleged right-wing activists for a ‘Beef Fest’ in protest against the notification.
