The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking a ban on slaughter of cows, old bulls, bullocks and buffaloes.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Centre, through the Ministry of Home Affairs on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on March 15.
Petitioner Brishbhan Verma, represented through Prashant Shukla, submitted that the prohibition on slaughter of cows must be extended to bulls and bullocks, as these animals continue to provide dung and urine that can be used by farmers as manure and fertiliser even if they cannot assist in agricultural work and breeding after a certain age.
It sought direction to the government for “total prohibition” on the slaughter of cows and their progeny which includes old-useless bulls, bullocks and buffaloes. The plea said the existing cow slaughter ban discriminates between male and female animals.
“If there is a prohibition on slaughter of any person, then male and female both are prohibited. Like when there is a prohibition on lions, then the lioness is also prohibited. There is a prohibition on peacocks, then peahen will also be prohibited. But the order is clearly about the slaughter of "old-useless bulls, bullocks and old buffaloes,” the plea said.
With PTI inputs.
