VHP to protest on December 8 against Cabinet giving nod to amending Cattle Preservation Act

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Go Raksha wing, Karnataka South, has called for district-level protests on December 8 to oppose the State Cabinet approving to make an amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020.

Addressing presspersons in Udupi on Saturday, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh K.R. Sunil said that the Act mandates a bank guarantee for releasing vehicles seized for illegal cattle transport. However, the Cabinet has approved to bring an amendment allowing such vehicles to be released on an indemnity bond instead.

He alleged that the government is now attempting to “show sympathy to cattle lifters” through the proposed amendment. “The government is trying to weaken the existing law,” he alleged, and urged the government not to go ahead with the amendment.

He said that under the existing law, offenders involved in illegal transportation of cattle must surrender the vehicles used in the offence to the government. If the charges are proven in court, the authorities have the power to permanently seize those vehicles. The existing law is both strong and effective, and its strict provisions have significantly reduced cases of cow theft and their illegal transport across the State.

Instead of focusing on measures that would support dairy farmers such as increasing incentives for milk production, the State government is interested in allowing violence against cows, he alleged.