Bakrid (Eid-ul-Adha) is about to come. This festival will be celebrated on 27th or 28th May. But this time a big controversy has arisen in West Bengal regarding the sacrifice of animals. Many people including TMC MP Mahua Moitra reached Calcutta High Court. There was a demand that sacrifice of cows and buffaloes should be allowed. The court heard this case on Thursday and gave a big verdict.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra and party MLA Akhruzzaman Calcutta High Court Filed a petition in. He asked for exemption under Section 12 of the Animal Slaughter Act, that is, special exemption should be given only for Bakrid this year.
Mahua Moitra said outside the court that this is not just an issue of the Muslim community. Many Hindu businessmen also run their household by selling animals on Bakrid. He said that we are only asking for permission to sacrifice buffalo or bull, not cow.
Petitioners’ lawyer Shadan Farasat argued in the court that this law is against religious sacrifice. He also said that even though the Supreme Court has banned cows, there is no such ban on buffaloes, bulls and calves.
What happened in the court?
On Thursday, May 21, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Pal and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, heard all the parties and reserved the verdict.
The court said three big things. First thing – The court clearly said that as per the order of the Supreme Court, slaughtering of any animal including cow and buffalo in any open or public place is completely prohibited.
other thing – The court cited the old decision of the Supreme Court. In 1975, in the Mohammad Hanif Qureshi vs. Government of Bihar case, the Supreme Court had said that sacrificing cow on Bakrid is not an essential religious practice in Islam.
Third thing – The court directed the state government to decide within 24 hours whether any exemption can be given under Section 12 of the Animal Slaughter Act 1950 or not.
So what relief did you get?
The court refused to give any immediate relief to the petitioners. The court also said that the Animal Slaughter Act 1950 is a 76 year old law. Unless it is declared unconstitutional, its validity remains. Therefore no interim relief can be given right now.
Also, the court asked the state government to check whether the necessary infrastructure for the sacrifice, i.e. closed places and the system of giving certificates, is present or not.
Law not implemented in Panchayat areas?
Petitioner’s lawyer Shamim Ahmed claimed in the court that this law has not been implemented properly in the Panchayat areas. This means that this law has been ignored in villages and rural areas for decades.
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