KOCHI: The Centre’s decision to ban sale of cattle for slaughter is an infringement on people’s freedom, said Minister for Forests K. Raju here on Saturday. He was inaugurating a biological park at Nedumbassery.
The Minister added that animal protection was a State subject, and that the Centre’s order violated States’ rights and was against the Constitution. “Lakhs of people depend on cattle-rearing and meat sale,” he added, saying India was among the top countries that exported meat.
The governments have only to make sure that slaughter houses follow rules, and the new order will even affect the sale of cattle even for farming purposes, Mr. Raju said.
