Ban on cattle sale for slaughter: Centre may consider new law on trade restrictions, says Harsh Vardhan

The Centre may consider any vital proposal on the new law on cattle trade and slaughter, Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan has said.

“If we get any acceptable and vital proposal, we might consider the new law on cattle trade and slaughter,” the minister for environment, forest and climate change told reporters on Thursday night.

Vardhan, who also holds the science and technology and earth sciences portfolios, said that there were some information gaps and misunderstandings on the issue.

The minister was in Agartala on Thursday to attend a programme in connection with the third anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

The environment ministry had earlier notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

Tripura’s Left Front government has already announced that it would not implement the new rules as it is against the interests of the people.

“The new cattle trade and slaughter rules framed by the central government are against the interest of the people. We will not carry out the new rules,” Tripura’s agriculture and animal resource development minister Aghore Debbarma said.

The ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist also vehemently criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government for promulgating the new law on cattle trade and slaughter.

“A large section of people, especially those from the Dalit community, are engaged in the business of cattle skin. Farmers engaged with cattle business; minorities depend on cattle for their source of protein would be directly affected,” CPM’s Tripura state secretary Bijan Dhar said.

“We have a federal democracy in our country. The central government cannot do many things without involving the states. The BJP government unilaterally framed this important cattle trade and slaughter rules,” he said.