Bengal: BJP government bans public slaughter of animals, mandates certificate for cows, bullocks

The Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal on Wednesday made it mandatory for persons to obtain a certificate before slaughtering animals such as buffaloes, cows and bulls.

The administration barred public slaughter of the animals and said officials carrying out inspections to enforce the order should not be obstructed.

The certificate, which can be issued by the chairperson of a municipal body or a sarpanch, along with a government veterinary doctor, must confirm that the animals are suitable for slaughter.

The certificate must confirm that the animal is more than 14 years old and no longer useful for work or breeding, or is permanently incapacitated because of age, injury, deformity or an incurable disease.

The animals must be slaughtered only at a municipal slaughterhouse or a place designated by the administration, the order said.

A person found violating the order may be punished with up to six months in jail or a fine of up to Rs 1,000 under the 1950 West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act.

The order did not provide exemptions for slaughter for religious, medicinal or research purposes, unlike earlier notices, The Telegraph reported.

The order came two weeks before Bakrid on May 27. Bakrid, also known as Eid-al-Adha, is a Muslim festival that commemorates the spirit of sacrifice. The festival is traditionally marked...

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