EXPLAINED | What Is Karnataka Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill? Know Will It Affect Small Businesses

Amid strong opposition from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) in the Assembly on December 9.

(Representative Image/ Getty)

Bengaluru: The BS Yediyurappa-led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka passed the revised version of the anti-cow slaughter law in the state assembly. The bill which is yet to be passed in the legislative council of the state was first presented previously by Yediyurappa in his last tenure. The bill seeks to put a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state. The government has said that it will bring an ordinance to get the bill into effect. Amid strong opposition from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) in the Assembly on December 9. What is Karnataka Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill? The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) provides for punishment of minimum three years and a maximum of up to seven years in case a person is found involved in illegal transportation, smuggling, atrocities, and slaughtering of cattle in Karnataka. In the bill, the word “cattle” has been given a new definition. Buffalo has been included in the definition of cattle. So, if anyone is caught while smuggling or slaughtering a cow, calf of a cow, bullock, and buffalo below the age of thirteen years that person will face three-seven years of imprisonment with a penalty between Rs 50,000 to 5 lakh for the first offense. What happened to the bill introduced in 2010? The new bill is the revised version of what was tabled by the BS Yediyurappa led BJP government in 2010. It was presented in a bid to ban all forms of cattle slaughter by recommending stringent punishment for violators. The bill was passed but was later shelved by the Congress government in 2013, as it failed to get the Governor’s approval. How the new bill will affect the small business in the state? The bill, when implemented, will mean a blanket ban on beef in the southern state and will have far-reaching adverse economic implications on dairy farmers who are already facing agrarian distress. Industries such as leather and hotels are also going to take a huge hit. Post-implementation, the bill may impact the livelihood of more than 40 lakh people in the state who are dependent on beef and related trade, a report by Indian Express quoted Beef Merchants’ Association of Karnataka as saying. Apart from butchers, small restaurant owners may also suffer a big blow from the bill. A lot of restaurants in the state of Karnataka offer beef in their menu and a few are even widely known for the beef dishes.