Deve Gowda says JD(S) to 'completely oppose' BJP's anti-cow slaughter Bill

Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has announced that his party will “completely oppose” the proposed anti-cow slaughter Bill.

The Bill will “create unrest in society” and “turn people’s lives upside down”, Gowda said in a statement.

Last week, the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill was passed in the Legislative Assembly, but it was not tabled in the Legislative Council. The government is likely to consider promulgating an ordinance to give effect to this law.

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Gowda pointed out that the existing Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, had enough scope for action to be taken against those who violate its provisions.

“In 2010, the then BJP government tabled a Bill containing provisions that had some specific communities in mind in order to target them on the issue of cow slaughter, imprisonment was increased from one year to seven years. Even as the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) staged protests, the majority BJP got it passed and it was sent to the Governor for assent,” Gowda said.

“My party leaders and I met the then Governor T N Chaturvedi and urged him not to approve the Bill, which was sent to the President. We met the President and apprised him of how Bill’s provisions were against the interests of communities and farmers. And then, the government changed hands and the Bill was withdrawn,” Gowda said.

“Given this background, the BJP has once again tabled the Bill in the legislature to create unrest in society and turn people’s lives upside down. The JD(S) will completely oppose this Bill,” he said.