Life term for cow slaughter in Gujarat, Rs 5 lakh fine for beef possession

Move comes ahead of Assembly polls, is seen by many as a way to placate hardliners in the state

The Gujarat Assembly passed The Gujarat Preservation (Amendment) Bill that seeks to award life imprisonment to anyone found guilty of cow slaughter in the state. The development took place on the last day of the Budget session of the House on Friday. Gujarat thus becomes the first state in the country to make cow slaughter punishable with a life term, and political observers feel this is part of BJP's strategy to please hardliners right ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.

The Amendment Bill also has stringent provisions for punishing those who are involved in transportation and sale of beef or beef products. People found to be in possession of beef will be fined in the range of Rs 1 to 5 lakh, and imprisoned for seven to ten years. This has also been made a non-bailable offense.

Earlier, under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2011, those found guilty of slaughtering a cow or transporting beef were awarded seven-year sentences and a Rs 50,000-fine.

The Bill introduced in the House stated that the maximum punishment for cow slaughter would be ten years, but not less than seven years. Junior home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja, however, has sought an amendment to enhance the punishment to life term. This was then passed and adopted in the Bill.

The Bill further noted, "The vehicles or any conveyance so seized under sub section (3) shall stand forfeited to government in the manner as my be prescribed."

Interestingly, the decision comes in right ahead of the Assembly elections due in the state, and is seen by many as a way to placate hardliners in the state. "This is a strategic decision by the BJP to take an aggressive Hindutva stance right ahead of the elections. Politics of polarisation won them the UP elections, and they want to replicate the same here," said a political observer who did not wish to be quoted.

The BJP has set a target of winning 150 seats or more in the polls.

It may be noted here that leaving alone cow slaughter, Gujarat does not rank anywhere close to the top 10 states when it comes to buffalo meat exports, which is legal.

As such, in 2013-14 Gujarat had exported 845 tonnes of buffalo meat with an estimated value of Rs 17.41 crore, as per data from the Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Authority (Apeda). In the following years there was no buffalo meat exports from Gujarat.