Himachal Pradesh High Court passed orders asking the Centre to ban cow slaughter in the country (file photo) Himachal Pradesh High Court passed orders asking the Centre to ban cow slaughter in the country (file photo)

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday passed fresh orders asking the Centre to ban cow slaughter in the country, besides imposing prohibitions on import and export of cow/calf (for slaughtering) and sale of beef and beef products in the next six months.

The court rejected the plea of the Centre that since the subject falls under entry number 15 of the state list, it’s up to the state governments to take a call on the issue.

In an order that runs into over 71 pages, a division bench comprising Justices Rajiv Sharma and Sureshwar Thakur said that it had already passed a similar order on October 14, 2015, directing the Government of India to enact a law prohibiting slaughtering of the cow/calf, besides banning import or export of the cow/calf (for slaughtering), selling of beef or beef products within three months.

Asking the Centre to enact the law at the national level, prohibiting slaughtering of cow/calf, import or export of cow/calf, selling of beef or beef products under entry number 17 of the concurrent list, the court rejected the plea taken by the Centre that the subject falls under the state list. Only five states and one Union Territory have no legislation on the subject, said an affidavit of the Centre, which the court quoted.

The bench said, “The directions issued by this court on October 14, 2015 to Union of India to enact law prohibiting slaughtering of cow/calf, import or export of cow/calf, selling of beef or beef products are reiterated.”

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