Yogi Adityanath: Congress attempting to grant exemptions to beef consumption

Yogi Adityanath. File pic

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a new attack on the Congress party's election programme, claiming that it intends to allow the consumption of beef if the party wins power. Addressing a press conference, Adityanath accused the opposition alliance, INDIA, of intentionally pushing beef consumption, which contradicts Hindu beliefs about cows as sacred animals.

"The Hindu community in this country completely abstains from consuming beef, as they regard the cow as sacred. Congress' attempt to grant exemptions to Muslims in this regard is unacceptable to all," he said, per the ANI report.

In a previous election rally, the UP CM had claimed that the Congress party intends to grant minorities the right to consume beef. Uttar Pradesh already has stringent laws against cattle slaughter, with penalties including up to 10 years of imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 5 lakh.

These laws were formalised through the Uttar Pradesh Cow Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Act 2020, which introduced stricter regulations surrounding cow slaughter and trafficking in the state, the report added.

According to the ANI report, under the new rule, serial cow smugglers might face double the penalty, up to ten years in prison. Minimum punishments for cow slaughter and mutilation were also imposed, ranging from 1 to 7 years in prison and fines of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.

Individuals involved in the transportation of cows or their meat are also held liable under the legislation, with both drivers and operators facing penalties if convicted. All offences under this law are non-bailable, the report added.

This law was deemed necessary as a result of earlier failures to enforce cow protection measures. Despite various modifications to prior legislation, there were still gaps that prevented effective enforcement in line with public mood.