Ex-Chief Minister of Karnataka, Jagadish Shettar Bommai, has denounced the state’s Animal Husbandry Minister, K Venkatesh’s statement regarding cow slaughter. Bommai expressed that cows hold sentimental significance for Indians and they are worshipped as mothers. He questioned the motive behind Venkatesh’s controversial comments and asked if it was made to earn political gain or to please the Congress high command.
Bommai further elaborated that Mahatma Gandhi advocated for the ban on cow slaughter, which was enacted in several states in the 1960s. The BJP leader expressed concern that Venkatesh’s statement could trigger large-scale smuggling of cows and the establishment of mass slaughtering factories in the state.
Venkatesh had earlier questioned the anti-cow slaughter law and why cows are exempted from slaughter while buffaloes can be killed. He hinted at discussing and potentially amending the legislation in this regard. However, Bommai clarified that the BJP government had already introduced legislation to prevent illegal slaughterhouse operations.
Several other BJP leaders also condemned Venkatesh’s comments, including Mysuru MP, Pratap Simha, who emphasized the sacred status of cows in Hindu culture. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act was brought into force by the BJP government in 2021, imposing a blanket ban on cattle slaughter in the state, with the exception of terminally-ill cattle and buffaloes aged above 13 years. The Congress party had opposed this legislation during their tenure as the opposition party.
