Kerala Assembly passes resolution against Centre's cattle sale ban

Special session of Assembly starts on defiant note, serves beef fry for breakfast

Kerala legislative assembly passed a resolution on Thursday against the Centre's May 23 notification, restricting the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF)-run government convened a special session of the assembly that began after a breakfast that included beef fry. After a day-long discussion, the resolution asking the Centre to withdraw the notification was voted. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition voted for the motion. The only vote against the motion was from the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) O Rajagopal.

The parties said the ban was a "fascist" move. Former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who initiated discussion, said the notification as a national tragedy aimed at setting the ground for monopolisation of the cattle trade by corporate majors such as Adani and Ambani.

Both ruling and opposition parties alleged the Centre's move would hit growth of agriculture, industry and labour, and the powers of states under the Constitution of India.

Moving the resolution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the ban was to implement the political agenda of the 'Sangh Parivar'. He said the state would implead itself in the case pending on the issue before the Supreme Court. He described the notification as another "surgical strike" like note ban. The leader of Opposition in the assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, said it was "a sign of arrival of fascism" in the country.

"Modi has transformed himself into a neo-Hitler," he alleged.

Vijayan said: "The notification is impractical in Kerala, where 95 per cent of the population is non-vegetarian. It is clearly an intrusion into citizens' choice of food."

The state government says 250,000 tonnes of meat worth Rs 6,550 crore is sold in Kerala annually.

BJP leader Rajagopal said the special session was a misuse of the Assembly to target the Centre. He said it marked the launch of a larger alliance of parties comprising both the fronts against the BJP and the Centre.

Kerala has several animal slaughter houses. A company named Meat Products of India has set up the country's largest meat processing unit at Ernakulam with the Centre's funding. The facility can handle around 6,000 cattle a month but with the new regulations, bringing cattle for slaughter either from other states or from farmers is not allowed.

There are 34 slaughterhouses licensed by local bodies or run by the state. This will also affect livestock over a period of time. No farmer will maintain cattle if they cannot sell it, said V S Sunil Kumar, minister for agriculture.