Meatless Monday: Spiritual leader in India wants the cow to be declared the country’s national animal

The spiritual head of Ajmer Dargah Zainul Abedin Ali Khan on Monday extended his support to the government’s decision to ban beef and called upon the community to stop consuming cow meat.

Khan, who is the Deewan of the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, along with other Sufi heads urged the Narendra Modi-led central government to declare cow as the national animal of the country.

Speaking to media, the spiritual head urged the government to legislate a special law and ban illegal slaughterhouses across the country.

“It is fine if we do not eat cow, we are not depriving ourselves from anything. Moreover it causes diabetics. I would appeal for complete ban in cow meet. The government has to make banning cow slaughter,” Khan said.

“We will hang those who kill cows,” Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said over the weekend as no end seemed in sight to the row over enforcement of beef ban and crackdown on illegal slaughter houses in Uttar Pradesh.

He was responding to queries by journalists whether his government would, like Yogi Adityanath‘s in UP, take a tough stand on cow slaughter.

“Does such a thing happen in Chhattisgarh? I don’t think it has happened in the last 15 years (of BJP rule). If it happens, we will hang those who dare do it,” Singh told reporters in Raipur.

Slaughter of cow, buffalo, bull, bullock, calf, and possession of their meat is banned in Chhattisgarh. Transport, export to other states for slaughter is also banned. These offences attract same punishment of 7 years’ jail and fine up to Rs 50,000.

Meanwhile, amid shortage of meat in UP following the clampdown on illegal abbatoirs and retail shops running without licences, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP of “hypocrisy” over beef ban.

In UP, cow is mummy, and in the northeastern states it’s yummy. This shows BJP’s hypocrisy. While they are talking about beef ban in UP, they have said there would be no such thing in the northeast.

“Assembly elections are going to be held in three states in the northeast. Beef is easily available in (BJP-ruled) Goa. You tell me what is this,” he told a TV news channel.

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh, meanwhile, said the crackdown on illegal slaughter houses was aimed at making them compliant with the court guidelines.

We are bemused to hear Akhilesh Yadav’s complaint that carnivorous animals in zoos of UP are suffering because of shortage of meat. He should tell the people of the state why he failed to make slaughter houses compliant with the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal,” Singh told reporters in Allahabad.

The minister said the guidelines were issued in 2014.

Following Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s order on closing down on illegal slaughterhouses, several states, including as many as five of the BJP-ruled states have followed in for the closure of illegal abattoirs across the country.

Several slaughter house owners and meat sellers in Uttar Pradesh have closed their shops following an indefinite strike call by different associations in protest against the order.

h/t: FirstPost, Times of India 

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