NEW DELHI/ ONGOLE: Two senior Union ministers on Thursday sought to allay apprehensions over the new government order on cattle trade, emphasising that the Centre will not interfere with the food habits of people in the different regions of the country.
While finance minister Arun Jaitley emphasised in Delhi that the Centre’s order will not impact state laws on slaughter, information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu said in Ongole that the notification does not prevent anyone from eating beef.
"This clarification has nothing to do with state legislations. It’s on the place of sale," Jaitley told reporters. He said the order issued by the environment ministry was meant to clarify if an agricultural market could be used to sell cattle for slaughter or those in the slaughter business should buy cattle from elsewhere. "Every state has its own legislation or no legislation (with regard to slaughter of cattle). You have provision in the Constitution’s Article 48 (Directive Principles) which says that certain category of animals have to be protected," Jaitley added.
Prohibition of cow slaughter mentioned in Article 48 of the Constitution is not an enforceable article, but a Directive Principle of State Policy. Jaitley said several states enacted laws in the 1950s when Congress was in power.
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