The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has threatened to launch a statewide agitation in Karnataka if the Congress government lifts the ban on cow slaughter. The BJP MLC N Ravikumar said that cows, oxen, and bulls are the friends of Indian farmers, and for farming to sustain in India, these animals have to survive. The comments came after Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh expressed his intentions to lift the ban on cow slaughter, saying that if buffaloes and bulls can be slaughtered, why not cows?
The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act was implemented in 2021 by the BJP government, and the Congress had opposed it. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that allowing cow slaughter in the state could lead to large-scale smuggling of cows and mass slaughtering factories. In Vijayapura, BJP workers staged a protest against the Congress government for its intentions to repeal the cow slaughter law in front of Siddeshwara Temple. The workers also protested against electricity price hikes and fake guarantees ordered by the government.
The issue of cow slaughter has been a sensitive one in India, as cows are considered sacred by many Hindus. The BJP has been known to push for laws banning cow slaughter, and the issue often leads to controversies and debates. The lifting of the ban in Karnataka could have political and social implications, leading to opposition from certain groups and political parties. The BJP’s threat of a statewide agitation indicates the gravity of the issue and the political consequences that could follow if the law is repealed.
