Supreme Court Says No To Nationwide Ban On Cow Slaughter, Each State May Decide On Its Own

Supreme Court Says No To Nationwide Ban On Cow Slaughter, Each State May Decide On Its Own The Supreme Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which sought a nationwide ban on cow slaughter.  Rejecting the plea on Friday the apex court said it was up to the states to decide.   "One state may ban slaughter, the other may not... We will not interfere in state laws."

The petitioner, Vineet Saha had sought a nationwide ban on cow slaughters saying that cattle smuggling takes place rampantly from the states where slaughter is banned to those states where it is permitted.

Cow Slaughter

BCCL

The court told the petitioner that it has already passed orders on measures to stop the illegal inter-state transportation of cattle.

Last week, the SC had stayed the July 2016 judgment of the Himachal Pradesh high court, which directed the Centre to enact a law prohibiting cow slaughter. 

Slaughter of cows has been a contentious issue in India for long, with many Right-wing groups calling for a total ban on it. Across the country, a number of states have some or the other ban or restrictions on cow slaughter.