Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), Mumbai calls beef ban in Maharashtra ‘unconstitutional’.
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: The Republican Party of India (A), a partner in the NDA government at the BJP-led government at the Centre, has declared his opposition to the beef ban law in Maharashtra brought in by the BJP-led state government. His announcement comes within days of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh announcing Central government’s inclination towards banning beef across the country.
RPI, which had extended its support to the BJP ahead of the assembly polls in Maharashtra in 2014 and its leader Ramdas Athawale was offered the Rajya Sabha seat from Maharashtra by the BJP, has now made it clear that it is opposed to the government’s decision of banning beef.
“We support cow slaughter ban but are against the slaughter of calves. The ban will cause immense hardships to farmers who will be forced to keep old cattle,” RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale told reporters on Friday here.
![Beef dealers protesting in Azad Maidan, Mumbai on March 10, 2015 against Beef Ban by Government [Courtesy : UrduTimes]](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8746/16578543947_e62b5b62c8_z.jpg)
Beef dealers protesting in Azad Maidan, Mumbai on March 10, 2015 against Beef Ban by Government [Courtesy : UrduTimes]
“After the ban came into effect, price of mutton has soared. The common man cannot afford that. The butchers have also met me and sought my intervention,” he said.
The RPI has expressed its willingness in joining Bharat Mukti Morcha, Bharat Bachao Andolan, Jamiatul Quresh and many other organisations in protest against anti-beef law. The group wants government to allow slaughter of bulls and bullock as blanket ban on beef deprives many people of their livelihood and staple food.
Earlier this month on two occasions, many organisations had arranged demonstration in Azad Maidan here to express their anger over the beef ban law.
Committee for the Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), Mumbai too has released statement against beef ban in Maharashtra.
“The loss of livelihood extends to those who are engaged in the animal husbandry business, including trade and commerce thereof, as also butchers and other workers at the abattoirs, those who skin the carcasses of cattle (mainly dalits), hide merchants, workers and owners of cold storages stocking and restaurants serving beef, etc. Moreover, the ban will deprive many Hindus (i.e., mainly the so-called lower castes), dalits, tribals, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and others of the little animal protein food that is within their means to consume once or twice a week,” the CPDR statement reads.
On the legal lines CPDR holds that the Maharashtra Animal Protection (Amendment) Act, 1995 is not in consonance with Article 48 when this is viewed in conjunction with the fundamental rights of citizens under the Constitution.
Jamiatul Quresh, an organisation of Quresh community that is traditionally involved in the business of beef, is reportedly contemplating to approach the court of law on the above ground against the beef ban law introduced by the state government in the beginning of this month.
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Traders from all religions unite at Azad Maidan to protest Maharashtra’s beef ban