The Gujarat state assembly on Friday passed the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017, making cow slaughter a non-bailable offence for life term.
While moving the amendment legislation, minister of state for home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said that this was the harshest law in the country. This is also applicable for the sale of beef and beef products.
The Act was passed in the absence of opposition Congress, which remains suspended. Friday was the last day of the budget session of state assembly.
Sadhus and sants have welcomed the move and demanded that, like in Uttar Pradesh, in Gujarat too, illegal slaughter houses should be closed down.
According to Jadeja, the new legislation paves way for penalty from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment ranging from 7 years to 10 years if found guilty of illegally keeping cow or transporting it.
Jadeja said that there were petitions urging the state government to make the law stricter. He observed that cow protection was not only about religious sentiment. It was also about the economic benefit to the society.
Congress hit out at the ruling BJP. Congress MLA and national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that it was double standard of the BJP, as in one of the northeastern states, the BJP leaders did not approve of such a ban.
