Kerala High Court refuses to stay ban on cattle trade for slaughter

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday refuses to stay Centre’s ban on cattle trade for slaughter and the case will now be heard on June 28^th.

The order was passed by Justice PB Suresh Kumar in a batch of petitions challenging Rule 22 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017. Advocate Haris Beeran appeared for the petitioner. While one of the petitioners is a cattle trader, another is a Member of Legislative Assembly of Kerala.

The central government had banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is expected to hit export and trade of meat and leather.

Opposition parties including some BJP leaders of Northeast have condemned the decision of Centre and demonstrations were held across the country in to protest the ban.

On Tuesday, a Meghalaya BJP leader Bachu Marak resigned from his post over the ban on cattle trade.

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“I cannot compromise on the sentiments of the Garos. As a Garo, it is my responsibility to protect the interest of my community. Beef eating is part of our culture and tradition. Imposition of BJP’s non-secular ideology on us is not acceptable,” said Bachu after resigning.

Earlier in last week, beef fests’ were held in various parts of Kerala to protest the Centre’s decision of banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he would approach the Prime Minister in this matter.