THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today that the Union government's new rules on the sale of cattle have dealt a body blow to farmers in the state and would lead to a price rise.
Pinarayi was speaking at a special session of the Assembly convened by his government to discuss the new rules which restrict the sale of cattle at animal market for slaughter purposes.
The chief minister moved the resolution in the Assembly against the rules notified on May 23. He said they curtail the right of the people to have the food of their choice and impinge on the power of states to legislate on subjects in the State List.
Kerala Congress leader K M Mani opposed the resolution, calling it a discussion that was not relevant to the state. Further, it was a matter sub judice.
The chief minister contended that the Centre's notification was motivated by the political agenda of the NDA government at the Centre to bring about an end to cow slaughter in the country.
V.S. Achuthanandan, State Administrative Reforms Commission chairman and a former chief minister, said the new rules were a sham aimed at helping big-time meat traders.