Jaipur : The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to coordinate with the Centre and take necessary steps to declare cow as a national animal.
In a direction that could further fuel the deeply divisive debate over beef consumption and vigilantism in the name of cow protection, Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma said the state’s chief secretary and advocate general will be the legal custodians of cow.
“Nepal is a Hindu nation (sic) and has declared cow as national animal. India is a predominantly agricultural country based on animal rearing. As per Article 48 and 51A (g) (of the Constitution) it is expected from the state government that they would take action to get a legal entity for cow in this country,” the judge said in the order passed on his last day in office.
He suggested that it was expected of the state government that it would amend the Rajasthan Bovine Animals Act 1995 to enhance punishment for cow slaughter from three years in jail to life imprisonment.
Later, Justice Sharma told a TV news channel that his directions were recommendatory in nature and not binding.
“It (action against those who kill cows) is the voice of my soul, your soul, everybody’s soul. Law has stemmed from ‘dharma’ (religion) and not vice-versa,” he said, as per PTI.
When the reporter asked him for the rationale behind declaring cow slaughter a heinous crime, he said,”There cannot be a more heinous crime than this. Cow is like mother. She saves people from different diseases.”
The directions were issued while the court was hearing a matter related to a government-run cow shelter where hundreds of animals had perished in Jaipur last year due to alleged neglect.
Justice Sharma’s suggestions came amid a firestorm of protests raging in several parts of the country, particularly the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu against a new notification issued by the Centre banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter.
Source : Zee News
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