Bangalore, Sep 6 (DHNS) : With the Centre sitting on the bill to bring in a strict ban on the slaughter of cattle, including cows in the State, the Cabinet on Thursday decided to bring in an amendment to an existing piece of legislation, seeking to ban the slaughter of bull and bullock besides the cow.

It was also decided to recommend to the Governor to promulgate an ordinance for this purpose.

The Union Home Ministry has not yet given approval to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2010, which not only seeks to ban slaughter of cow, bull and bullock, but provides for stringent punishment for violators and makes the offence cognisable and non-bailable.

Bull and bullock in bill

“The Home Ministry had asked the State government whether it can remove buffalo from the definition cattle and it had agreed. However, the Home Ministry is yet to clear the bill.

Hence, we have decided to strengthen the existing legislation (Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964) by including bull and bullock through an amendment,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

The 2010 bill, which proposes stringent punishment for violation of the rules and also provides for powers to search and seize any premises including vessel or vehicle, had met with stiff opposition from the Congress and the JD(S) members in the Assembly. The Opposition parties had alleged that the bill was a hidden agenda of the Sangh Parivar.

Cases withdrawn

This apart, the Cabinet decided to withdraw eight cases booked against the activists of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP) in Hubli-Dharwad, Bidar, Raichur, Haveri and Chikkaballapur.

Asked why only cases pertaining to the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat activists were being withdrawn, Kumar retorted by saying that no other cases were on the agenda in the Cabinet.