Cattle slaughter: Not infringing on State laws, says Arun Jaitley

“Order relates only to place of sale”

Union Minister for Finance and Defence Arun Jaitley addresses a press conference in New Delhi on June 1, 2017.

State laws on cattle slaughter “had nothing to do” with a recent notification by the Union Environment Ministry prohibiting the sale of bovines for slaughter at animal market places, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here on Thursday.

Asked for his comments on several States challenging the Environment Ministry directive, Mr. Jaitley said the “clarification [the notification] has nothing to do with those legislations [State laws banning cow slaughter] and concerns only with the place of sale.”

Several States such as Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura have protested the directive as infringing their turf and hampering personal liberty.

Clauses stayed

The Madras High Court, earlier this week, stayed certain clauses of the notification, after a petition challenged the notification as inimical to the personal liberty, people’s rights to livelihood and an encroachment into matters that are within the domain of States.

Sparks violence

There have also been instances of violence in Kerala and Chennai, spiralling from protests against the notification. “The Directive Principles [Constitution] say that certain animals ought to be protected. Some States have prohibitions some don’t. [This notification deals with whether] within the market can only farmers sell? Is the farmers’ market meant for those involved in the slaughter trade? This has nothing to do with State laws on cattle slaughter,” he added.

The May 23 notification says that buyers of cattle at animal markets will have to verify they are agriculturalists and declare that they will not sell the animal/s for a period of six months from the date of purchase.