Haryana bans cows' transportation without permission

A day after irate mobs in Haryana torched or damaged 65 vehicles claiming that these were carrying cows for slaughter, the state government Saturday announced a ban on the transportation of cows without written permission from the district magistrate concerned.

"The Haryana government has decided that no transportation of cows from municipal cattle ponds or gaushalas to any other gaushala or other destination, shall take place without written permission from the concerned district magistrate," a state government spokesman said here.

Angry mobs had set on fire or damaged 65 vehicles, including trucks, police vehicles and buses, claiming that cows were being carried in the trucks for slaughtering.

The mobs set nearly 50 vehicles on fire in the area under Dharuhera police station in Rewari district, 45 km from Gurgaon.

Such was the intensity of the violence that policemen fled their posts to save their lives.

The violence took place after a truck allegedly carrying cow flesh overturned on the main road of the town. Two other trucks carrying similar consignment were intercepted by people. The frightened drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled.

In another incident, a mob intercepted at least 15 trucks ferrying cows, unloaded the animals, and then set the vehicles on fire in Pataudi area in Gurgaon district.

At least 25 other trucks ferrying nearly 200 cows from Chandigarh to Uttar Pradesh were seized by the villagers. The truck drivers and helpers managed to escape.

Police said these trucks were transporting stray cows caught by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC). These were being taken to the Shree Mataji Gaushala at Barsana in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh and were accompanied by MCC officials and police escort.

Trouble started when some trucks were caught in a traffic jam at Jhajjar.

"Taking a serious note of the incidents of violence that occurred in connection with transportation of cows, the government had decided to strongly reiterate that their transportation would be subjected to strict regulation as per applicable laws," the spokesman said.

"In this direction, it has been made mandatory to obtain written permission from the concerned DM before transporting cows from one place to another. Parties connected with such transportation would have the proposed route and other relevant details of the vehicle or convoys approved by the DM," he added.