

“A law be enacted to ban the slaughter of all cows (Bos Indicus) as wished by Mahatma Gandhi as an imperative for free Independent India and to recommend punishment, including death penalty, as a necessary deterrent for the prevention of criminal offence of cow slaughter,” the Bill reads.

While many jurists and legal experts across the world are calling for abolition of death penalty even for heinous crimes like homicide, BJP leader Dr. Dr. Subramanian Swamy is seriously contemplating to introduce death penalty for cow slaughter.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, not only wants a nationwide ban on the slaughter of cows, but also wants deterrent punishment, including death penalty for slaughter of cow.

A Bill to that effect has been introduced by him in the Rajya Sabha calling for creation of the National Cow Protection Authority.

The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill reads: "By creating an Authority under the Central Government to comply with Article 37 of the Constitution and in keeping with Article 48 of the Constitution, a law be enacted to ban the slaughter of all cows (Bos Indicus) as wished by Mahatma Gandhi as an imperative for free Independent India and to recommend punishment, including death penalty, as a necessary deterrent for the prevention of criminal offence of cow slaughter."

The authority, according to him, apart from an ex officio member, would contain five persons of eminence in the fields of agricultural economics, animal welfare and ancient Indian history or culture, as members.

One of the functions of this authority, according to him, will be to recommend to the Central government deterrent penalties, including death penalty for those who commit offences against cows.

Read the Bill here.