Vijayapura: With the Congress government coming to power again in the State and Siddaramaiah becoming the Chief Minister, the voices are again being raised to repeal the controversial Prevention of Cattle Slaughter Act passed by the previous BJP Government.
The demand is now being largely raised by Dalits and Ahinda leaders who want Siddaramaiah to repeal the law, which he did when he had become Chief Minister in 2013.
“ Soon after becoming CM, Siddaramaiah ordered the withdrawal of the act which was framed by the BJP government led by the then Chief Minister, B. S. Yediyurappa. Now, as Siddaramaiah has become CM again and the previous BJP government has passed the Act, we appeal to the CM to immediately repeal the controversial, anti-farmer and anti-Constitution act”, said veteran Dalit leader, Chandrashekhar Kodabagi.
He said that the BJP had formulated the Act only to appease the Sangh Parivar and create communal divide in the name of cow protection.
“ The Act is completely against the interest of farmers, beef consumers and for the tannery industry that largely depends on the hide of animals”, he said.
Criticizing the previous BJP government for enacting the law, he said the law only allowed anti-social elements to create communal divide in the State. The law gave free hands to some of the so-called Hindutva activists to torment and harass cow traders of minority communities, he said.
Echoing the similar sentiments, Ahinda leader, Somanath Kallimani wondered if cow was so holy and sacred for the BJP, then how come the beef export has increased to the highest level in the BJP rule in the country.
The BJP government passes the law to protect cows in Karnataka, but no such law is passed in Goa where the BJP has been ruling for years, he said.
Stating that the law is prepared by going against the interest of the farmers who are the one who raise the milching animals, Kallimani said the farmers sell only the unproductive cattle as they cause financial burden to them.
“ By selling the unproductive cow, the farmers buy milching cows for additional earning. The old cattle go to slaughterhouse for meat and hide. By framing the Act, the BJP has tried to destroy this economic chain system which has been functioning for farmers and meat industry for ages in the country”, he said.
