BJP seeks to drum up support for anti-cattle slaughter bill

The BJP government in Karnataka today decided to stage a state-wide agitation from September 1 demanding that President Prathibha Patil approves the anti-cattle slaughter Bill.

Briefing reporters after a state office-bearers meeting, party spokesman C T Ravi said demonstrations will be held in all 224 assembly segments in support of the demand till September 5.

“On September 6, a day-long dharna will be held here (to raise the pitch further on the bill)", he said, adding Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, state BJP President K S Eshwarappa and office-bearers of all constituencies would participate in the protest.

“On the bill, we have decided there is no let up in our resolve,” Eshwarappa said. Opposition parties in Karnataka have expressed strong opposition to the 'Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010,' which was passed by both Houses of the State Legislature.

The bill was forwarded to the President by Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj for her assent. Ravi also said the party's yuva morcha would take out a ‘Save Kashmir’ yatra from Bidar and another from Kodagu, after September 6, which will culminate in conventions in Dharwad and Mangalore respectively, opposing any autonomy for Kashmir. The BJP will also organise "Vikasa Yatra" in all assembly segments in October ahead of taluk and zila panchayat polls to highlight the development works undertaken by the two-year-old Yeddyurappa government, he said.