BSY meets President, seeks assent to cow slaughter bill

The Bill was passed in both the houses of Karnataka Legislature, recently. Underlining the disconnect between the State government and Governor H R Bhardwaj, the memorandum to the president said the governor "has reserved the Bill for the consideration of the President" even as it added that the Bill has been submitted to the Union Home Ministry.

The BJP delegation to Rashtrapati Bhavan can be viewed in the backdrop of another delegation led by the JD(S) national president and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda meeting the president urging not to give assent.  

Yeddyurappa also drew the President’s attention about similar Bill enacted by the Gujarat government, which was given the President’s assent. He also clarified that the Bill would only prohibit the sale, usage and possession of beef and beef production and was not against the meat of any other animal.

The Bill has been politicised in Karnataka, where the Opposition parties have alleged the BJP government of wanting to settle score against the people belonging to the minority communities by banning cow slaughter.  

Emerging out of the meeting, Yeddyurappa informed the media that he was confident that the President would give assent at the earliest, as this ban is prevalent in seven states in the country.