SC to hear PIL against cattle sale regulations

'Rule deprives people from rearing, breeding'

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a PIL challenging the May 23 notification by the Centre that banned buying animals from markets for slaughter.

Mohammed Abdul Faheem Qureshi, president of Hyderabad-based All India Jamiatul Quresh Action Committee, through his counsel Sanobar Ali Qureshi, mentioned his PIL before vacation bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Deepak Gupta for urgent consideration.

The bench put the matter for hearing on June 15. The PIL contended that the rule unconstitutionally prohibited the sale of cattle for slaughter, imposing an absolute ban on the purchase of the animal, and violated the fundamental rights of freedom of choice of food.

The rule also deprived people from doing permissible trade of breeding and rearing of animals.

It contended that the regulations framed by the Union government under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 tend to regulate livestock markets with an intention of preserving, protecting and improving stocks, though the legislation on the fields was earmarked for the state legislature.

It pointed out that Karnataka, Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal had already said they would not implement the rules as it would “impact the poor Dalits and Muslims”.

“The complete ban of sale or purchase or resale of animals would cast a huge economic burden on the farmers and cattle traders who find it difficult to feed their children today, but would be required to feed the cattle as it is an offence under the Act of 1960 to starve an animal or failure to maintain it;  and would also give way for cow vigilantes to harass farmers and cattle traders under the blessing of the impugned regulations,” the petitioner apprehended.

Cattle trade: Kerala HC refuses stay  Refusing to stay the Centre’s May 23 notification on streamlining cattle slaughter, the Kerala High Court has said the petitioners challenging the rules nonetheless have a sound case, DHNS reports from Thiruvananthapuram. The case was posted to August 26 for further hearing.