Karnataka BJP Holds Puja For Cows, Passes Anti-Slaughter Bill In Assembly

Amid the bedlam, the BJP government in Karnataka tabled the anti-cow slaughter bill in the state Assembly on Wednesday.

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.

As Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan tabled the bill, 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.

Earlier, after the bill was tabled, cows were brought into the Vidhana Soudha or Secretariat, and Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan performed a puja for them.

"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.

However, Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri said he had clearly said in the meeting that important bills will be tabled on Wednesday and Thursday.

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 about its implementation.