Siddhartha Kumar
Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:52:42 -0800
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20100312/5473350022349747412.htm
Cow slaughter bill runs into opposition in K’taka Habib Beary Friday, March 12, 2010 AT 07:32 PM (IST) Tags: Karnataka-Politics BENGALURU: Hindu seers have asked the Karnataka Government to immediately pass a law to ban cow slaughter even as the Congress, Janata Dal Secular and left parties opposed the bill, saying it was draconian and targeted minorities. Dalit organisations too have protested against the ban, saying the government cannot interfere in food habits of people. In the light of protests by Dalits and the opposition parties, several seers led by Vishwesha Theertha of the Udupi Pejawar mutt called upon political parties not to politicise the issue. "Parties across various political affiliations will have to come together to protect these animals by supporting the ban, he said, after addressing a meet of pontiffs of various mutts organised by newly formed Cow Progeny Protection Force. Adichunchangiri Mutt seer Balagangadharanath said it was wrong to kill and eat the meat of the animals worshiped by the major community. But Opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah said the bill was being pushed through at the behest of the RSS.. “It is the hidden agenda of the government. It will divide people on communal lines,” he alleged. Congress MLA Roshan Baig said the bill should be withdrawn as it was aimed at targeting minorities .“There is a wrong notion that only Muslims and Christians oppose the anti-cow slaughter bill, but the BJP government should know that there are a lot of members from the lower castes including Dalits who have been eating cow meat for many centuries”, said former legislator and human rights activist A.K.Subbaiah. The bill 'Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2010 that has been introduced in the assembly proposes stringent punishment for violation including considering all offences under the Act as “congnisable and non-bailable" Law Minister Suresh Kumar said if the opposition members had any reservations over the bill they could discuss the issue when the bill comes up for discussion. The legislation to ban cow slaughter was intended to divide people and to create violence in the name of communities which eat beef and others. The law is not due to any love for cows or because the animal is considered holy”, said CPM leader G N Nagaraj. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to zestcaste@yahoogroups.com TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to zestcaste-subscr...@yahoogroups.com OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: zestcaste-dig...@yahoogroups.com zestcaste-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: zestcaste-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/