Congress, 'pseudo secular groups' raising obsolete issues: Rijiju on cattle ban

Reacting to the agitation against Centre's cattle ban notification, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Saturday accused the Congress and 'pseudo secular groups' of raking up the issue for political benefit.

"The protest on cattle trade notification is political. Congress and some pseudo secular group are raising unnecessary issues which are obsolete," Rijiju told the media here.

He further said that nobody was facing any problem in the northeastern states including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur following Centre's notification.

"It is not at all an issue. There is no difficulty in the northeastern region. Everyone is eating what they like. There is no clash, no arrest. No one is put behind the bars," he added.

Following the Centre's notification prohibiting sale of cattle for slaughter purpose, the states including Kerala, Karnataka and Tripura are standing against the new rule dubbing it 'unconstitutional'.

While Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the Chief Ministers of other states to raise their voices against the Centre's notification, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to repeal the 'unconstitutional norm.'

Vijayan had earlier written a letter to the Chief Ministers saying that the restrictions imposed on cattle trade would adversely affect the livelihood of the millions of people, especially, those in the agriculture sectors adding that the rule is an impermissible encroachment into the domain of the State Legislatures.

Drawing wrath from various fractions, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan ordered that the ministry has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 to ensure that the sale of cattle is not meant for slaughter purposes.

He said the seller and buyer both have to ensure that the cattle is not being bought or sold across the country's livestock markets market for slaughter purposes.

The rules also state that the purchaser shall not sacrifice the animal for any religious purpose or sell it to a person outside the state without permission and must keep in with the state's cattle protection laws.