Lawyers distribute beef on Madras High Court campus

A section of lawyers during a protest against Maharashtra government's ban on cow slaughter, at Madras High Court campus in Chennai on Friday. Photo: V. Ganesan

A section of lawyers of the Madras High Court, on Friday afternoon, distributed beef dishes on court campus in protest against the recent ban on selling and possession of cow's meat by the Maharashtra government.

Around 1.30 p.m., over 30 lawyers including members of the Progressive Advocates Association of Tamil Nadu gathered near the Aavin booth inside the court complex and spread the beef delicacies on plantain leaves much to the surprise of those gathered there attracted by the noise. 

Then they raised slogans against the ruling BJP government in Maharashtra which has imposed a ban on beef throughout the State via the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill that was recently approved by President of India.

The advocates distributed the cooked beef among colleagues and to others on the complex and distributed pamphlets with protest messages.

Speaking to media persons gathered there, the protesters rebuked the actions of the Maharashtra government and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the ban on beef. "Beef is the poor man's meat and ban shows that the BJP government doesn't care about the people belonging to the lower strata in the State. More shocking are the words of Hindu Munnani leader Ramagopalan who afterwards made a call to implement a similar ban in our State," said advocate Marx Ravindran of the Progressive Advocates Association who led the agitation.

The group stated that they plan to conduct protests throughout Tamil Nadu if the ban in Maharashtra isn't lifted soon.