Madras High Court Stays Environment Ministry's Order Banning Cattle Sale For Slaughter

Even as the debate over the Environment Ministry's order restricting cattle sale only for agriculture purposes, the Madras High Court has issued a temporary stay on the order.

BCCL

Hearing a PIL, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed the notification for four weeks.

The court has also issued notices to the central and state governments seeking their reply in four weeks.

BCCL

The petitioners had argued that the choice of food is individual's right, and no one has any right to dictate it to them.

The central government's counsel however told the court that the notification had been brought about only to regulate the animal markets.?

BCCL

The interim order is the first setback to the Modi government in the controversial order. States like Kerala and West Bengal have already said that they will challenge the 'unconstitutional order' in the court.

BCCL

The Kerala High Court had on Monday hearing a PIL issued a notice to the central government. In other states too there have been widespread protests against the order issued on May 23.

The order aimed at regulating sale of bovines at cattle markets had prohibited the sale of animals including cows, bulls, buffaloes, calves and camels or slaughter at the cattle markets.

While it did not out-rightly ban cattle sale for slaughter, many including slaughterhouses and small scale meat traders had complained that the order will make purchase of cattle difficult and thus affect the livelihood of thousands.