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Narendra Modi govt to withdraw ban on ‘cattle sale for slaughter’ after feedback from states

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The central government has decided to roll back its plan of implementing a ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets, according to news website FirstPost.

The decision comes after several states gave feedback on the issue, reported India Today.

“We sent a file to the Ministry of Law earlier this week, stating that we are withdrawing the notification due to several issues and will be revising it,” The Indian Express quoted a senior official from the Ministry of Environment and Forests as saying. He added that a time-frame for the process had to yet be decided.

The ministry had notified the stringent Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, banning the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

The rules define cattle as a bovine animal including bulls, bullocks, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers and calves and camels. They also prohibit establishment of an animal market in a place which is situated within 25 kilometres from any state border and within 50 kilometres from any international border.

Various bodies and political parties had reacted to the government’s decision, saying it was an “ill-advised” decision which will widen the “terrorism” by cow vigilantes.

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had stayed the cattle slaughter rules in May, and had asked the state and central government to reply to a PIL petition filed before it. The notification was challenged on the ground that it violated the basic right of an individual in relation to his or her choice of food. In June, it had again extended the stay by four more weeks.

Then in July, the Supreme Court had said that the Madras High Court’s stay on Centre’s notification regarding sale of cattle for slaughter will continue and will cover the entire country.

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