Karnataka likely to promulgate ordinance on Cattle anti-slaughter Bill
Bengaluru, Dec 12: With the Karnataka Cattle anti-slaughter Bill hitting a roadblock in the Legislative Council, the state government is mulling taking the ordinance route.
The government is planning on promulgating an ordinance to bring the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020 into force after the legislation which was cleared in the Assembly hit a roadblock in the Council.
Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa said that they planned on bringing an ordinance since the Chairman of the Council did not cooperate. The statement came after the CM performed a cow puja to celebrate the passage of the Bill in the Assembly.
Controversial anti-cow slaughter bill passed in Karnataka Assembly
The
BJP
does
not
have
a
majority
in
the
Legislative
Council,
which
was
adjourned
sine
die
on
Thursday.
On
Wednesday
amid
bedlam,
the
anti-cow
slaughter
bill
was
passed
in
the
Karnataka
Assembly
with
the
Congress
members
staging
a
walkout
in
protest.
The bill known as the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill-2020 seeks a total ban on the slaughter of cows in the state and stringent punishment to those who indulge in smuggling, illegal transportation, atrocities on cows and slaughtering them, BJP sources said.
"Yes, the bill has been passed in the Assembly," Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy told PTI.
Besides cows and calves, the bill also intends to protect buffaloes and their calves less than 12 years of age.
There is a provision to set up special courts for the speedy trial of the accused people.
It
also
makes
provision
for
setting
up
Goshala
or
cattle-sheds
for
the
protection
of
livestock.
Police
have
been
given
powers
to
conduct
checking.
The law also gives protection to those who protect these livestock.
The bill was passed without any discussion as there was din in the House.
The Congress later staged a walkout in protest.
Earlier, when Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan tabled the bill in the evening, Congress MLAs led by leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah trooped into the well of the House.
They alleged the bill was not discussed for tabling in the Business Advisory Committee meeting.
"We
had
discussed
yesterday
that
new
bills
will
not
be
tabled.We
had
agreed
that
only
the
ordinances
will
be
passed.
Now
he
(Prabhu
Chavan)
has
all-of-a-sudden
introduced
this
anti-cow
slaughter
bill,"
Siddaramaiah
said.
Uttar Pradesh: Mob frees cow slaughter accused
However, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said he had clearly said in the meeting that important bills will be tabled on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Not convinced with the reply, the Congress MLAs trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the BJP government.
The Congress has expressed fears that the bill, if passed, may be misused for polarisation on communal lines and target the minorities.
On the other hand, the BJP has been saying the bill is to protect the cows which are holy to the Hindus.
To make the provisions of the proposed law stringent, Chavan had referred to similar laws in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
A team of officials led by Chavan had recently visited Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, where the law has been enacted, to study its implementation.