NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The Qureshi Meat Traders Association on Monday moved the High Court challenging the central government’s new rule banning the trading of cattle including buffalo for slaughter.
The association filed a petition in the court pleading to stay the central government rule from being implemented in the state and allow safe inter-state transportation of cattle.
The association has called the new rule a move by the Centre to hurt the business run mainly by Muslims.
The rule violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that allows sacrifice of cattle for religious purposes, said Manna Bepari, president of the association.
Bepari said the High Court will hear the plea challenging Centre’s notification regarding ban on sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter at animal markets on June 14.
“The slaughtering of animals for food, the food and culinary (items) made out of such animal flesh and offering sacrifice of animals are part of cultural identity of Muslim community, protected under the Constitution,” he said.
The plea argues that the Centre’s notification indirectly imposes a ban on sale, purchase or resale of animals, and this would further put a huge economic burden on the farmers and cattle traders.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the new rule under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which bans sale of cattle for slaughter in open markets across the
country.
A gazette notification, titled Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 by the Union ministry, states that no one can bring cattle to an animal market unless he or she has furnished a written declaration that the cattle will not be sold for the purpose of slaughter.