BENGALURU: Amidst protests from Congress and JDS members, the BJP government finally passed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle bill in the Upper House on Monday. The bill was passed a day before the Council Chairman election where senior MLC Basavaraj Horatti is contesting as the BJP-JDS alliance candidate.
As Congress and JDS members came to the well opposing the bill, it was passed since BJP had the higher numbers in the House. According to BJP MLC Ravikumar, there were 27 BJP members, while Congress and JDS together had around 22 to 23 members. "As they came to well, their votes were invalid and BJP had majority votes. Also, there were more BJP members in the house while the bill was passed," he added.
Prior to this, Congress members in the Upper House demanded that the State government withdraw the Anti-Cow slaughter law or send the bill to the Joint Select Committee. They said this was against farmers' interests.
Congress MLC CM Ibrahim said Karnataka, "We are not like Maharashtra or UP. Do not bring communal colour to this bill. Give us time, I will invite all mosque heads. Let's discuss. Refer this bill to the Joint Select Committee."
He added that the government should think from the farmers' angle.
Opposing the bill, Congress MLC BK Hariprasad said that this law will not help anyone, neither the farmers nor the common people. "You (State government) seems to be giving jobs to unemployed VHP and Bajrang Dal," he said.
Naseer Ahmed too said 70 per cent of the people in this State who are nonvegetarians. "Take your bill back," he demanded.
The anti-cow slaughter bill was passed in the Karnataka Assembly on December 9, 2020. It was not passed in the Legislative Council, forcing the government to take the ordinance route.