Indian state of Gujarat to hand life imprisonment sentence to anyone who slaughters a cow
A law has been passed in the western Indian state of Gujarat making the slaughter of cows punishable with life imprisonment.
Gujarat which is home to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi increased the punishment for cow slaughter from seven years to life imprisonment as Hindu hardliners push for tougher protections for the holy animal.
Those found guilty of transporting beef will also be jailed for 10 years under an amendment to the state’s Animal Preservation Act.
Cows are considered sacred by India’s Hindu majority and their slaughter is illegal in most states and the new amendment means Gujarat now has the toughest laws on the issue in the country.
“A cow is not an animal. It is a symbol of universal life,” Gujarat Law Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja told the state’s assembly.
“Anybody who does not spare the cow, the government will not spare him.”
He says the amendments to the act had been made “in consultation with the people”.
Offenders will face heavy fines, as well as time behind bars. The penalty for either act has been doubled from 50,000 rupees ($771; £618) to 100,000 rupees.
Millions from India’s huge minority populations – including Muslims, Christians and lower-caste Hindus – eat beef, although it is not widely available, AlJazeera reports.
Cow slaughter is such a hot issue in the country so much so that even rumours of cows being transported can lead to murderous reprisals and religious riots.
Squads of “cow protection” vigilantes are known to roam highways inspecting livestock trucks for any trace of the animal.
A 50 year old Muslim man accused of eating beef in 2015 was dragged from his home and beaten to death by a mob. Police later said it was mutton.
