The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the State Government is to constitute ‘Cow Cabinet’ to conserve and promote cow cattle in the state. The first meeting of the cabinet is to be held on November 22, 2020. The meeting is to be held at Gau Sanctuary Salaria Agar Malwa.

Anti-Cow Slaughter Act, 2004

According to the act, no one in the state is allowed to transport cattle in the state. Special permission was required even to transport cattle through the state. In 2019, the State Government (Congress) of Madhya Pradesh amended the act. According to the amendment, jail term of six months and a fine of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 was imposed for those who were convicted of committing violence in the name of cow.

Cattle Slaughter Laws in India

In 2005, the Supreme Court of India upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted in different states of India. Around 20 states in India currently have laws to regulate cow slaughter (it includes cattle slaughter as well).

Which states in India have no restrictions on cow slaughter?

The states such as Assam, Kerala, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and West Bengal have no restrictions on cow slaughter. However, some states allow slaughtering of bulls and bullocks. They are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar.

Religions and Cow Slaughtering

In India, cows are respected and worshipped by religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. According to them cow slaughtering is sin. On the other hand, the cow is considered as an acceptable source of meat by Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam in India. However, some of the Zoroastrians worship cows and abstain from using it as a source of meat.

Bombay High Court on Beef consumption

In 2016, the Bombay High Court pronounced a judgement that consumption of beef is legal under Article 21 of Constitution of India. Article 21 is a Fundamental Right to Life.