Karnataka Cong demands policy over ban on cow slaughter

Bengaluru:  D. K. Shivakumar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, on Monday called out the BJP's plan to introduce a bill on cow slaughter ban in the on-going legislature session.

He demanded the BJP to come out with a firm policy on banning cow slaughter across the country.

BJP rakes up the issue of cow slaughter only in those states where it benefits them politically and remains silent on other states where they want to benefit politically again by turning deaf and blind too, Shivakumar told reporters.

"The Congress does not see it as an emotional issue or political issue. We approach this issue with the same temperament irrespective of states where we benefit politically or not," he said.

He quickly added why the BJP leaders are silent on beef export and India is the biggest exporter of this meat to the world.

"For them beef export and cow slaughter become only an election issue and nothing more. If the BJP is truly committed to its ideology,  the BJP government at the Centre as well as in states should come out clean on this matter," he said.

To a question on the anti-cow slaughter bill, which the BJP wanted to table in the ongoing assembly session, Shivakumar said that there is no need to bring fresh laws as such because an anti-cow slaughter law is already in place in the state.

He also announced that the KPCC will soon launch a letter drive against "controversial" farm and labour laws in support of farmers and labourers.

Extending support to the six-hour country-wide "Bharat Bandh" by various farmers' associations on Tuesday, Shivakumar added letters with signatures of farmers and labourers would be sent to the President of India asking him not to approve these contentious laws.

He said that the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi had directed the party workers to gather the opinion of the farmers and labourers by way of signature on the letter.

"On the directions of our party president Sonia Gandhi, we are going to provide 8.8 lakh letters to the farmers and labourers who will sign on it and send it to the President of India," he claimed.

IANS report with edits