Chennai
oi-Gaurav Sharma
On a request of Tamil Nadu’s Vijay’s government, the Supreme Court of India has put a stay on the state-wide ban on slaughter of cows.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta overturned the Madras High Courts decision. Though it is just an interim order, the Apex court said final paragraph of the high court’s order, which directed the state-wide ban, requires “correction”.
The Supreme Court of India stayed the Madras High Court’s statewide ban on cow slaughter, following a request by Tamil Nadu’s government arguing the order contradicts the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958.
Earlier, on May 27, the Madras High Court ordered the chief secretary of Tamil Nadu and Director General of Police to ensure that no cow or calf was slaughtered anywhere in the state.
Notably, the order included ban on Bakrid or any other day for sacrifice of cows.
The Madras high court order was based on a 1976 ruling, which prohibited the slaughter of cows to protect milk production and support the rural economy.
However, TVK’s Vijay government took the matter to the Supreme Court stating high court’s order was contrary to the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958.
Cows over 10 years of age are not fit for breeding and can be slaughtered after obtaining a certificate from the competent authority, as per the Act.
The Madras High court had put a statewide ban of cow slaughtering following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by K Surya Prasanth, general secretary of the Hindu Makkal Katchi.
