JOIN USCongress raps Karnataka minister for 'cow slaughter' remark
Congress has reprimanded Karnataka Animal Husbandry and Sericulture Minister K Venkatesh over his statement on removing the ban on cow slaughter imposed during the BJP rule and asked him not to speak out of turn on policy issues that do not directly come under him.
The terse warning to Venkatesh was delivered by party General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Surjewala, as Venkatesh's statement that "why cows cannot be slaughtered if buffaloes can be slaughtered" triggered protest from the BJP.
"Reprimanding" Venkatesh, the senior leader asked the minister to focus on dairy farmers and ensuring right price for milk producers and "not to speak on policy issues that do not come under his purview".
Surjewala's warning to the minister came as his remarks evoked strong reaction from the Opposition BJP and attention was diverted from governance issues to controversial subjects on which the party wants to move with caution.
The leadership also do not want unwanted controversies as the Congress government is settling in and do not want to divert attention, especially ahead of the Budget Session next month where the party is preparing to project a new development vision for the state.
Earlier, it had also sought to play down its promise of banning Bajrang Dal with Home Minister G Parameshwara saying that the party has said that it would ban the organisation only if it indulges in illegal activities.
Venkatesh had earlier said that the government would discuss lifting the ban on cow slaughter. "We have not decided yet. The previous BJP government had brought in a bill, in that they have allowed slaughter of buffaloes and male buffaloes, but have said cow slaughter should not be done. We will discuss it and decide," Venkatesh had said.
While BJP leaders like former Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai objected to Venkatesh's statement, Law Minister and senior HK Patil said there was no such proposal before the state government to revoke the ban on cow slaughter.
When the BJP had brought the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act into force in 2021, the Congress had opposed it. The law imposed a blanket ban on the slaughter of cattle in Karnataka and the only slaughter allowed is of terminally-ill cattle and buffaloes aged above 13 years.