Former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said that if their party was voted to power, they would repeal some of the legislations brought in by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including the The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 and Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022. Speaking to TNM in an exclusive interview, Siddaramaiah said, “The Cow Slaughter Bill was brought unnecessarily. It brought injustice to those who rear cattle. We will bring back the 1964 Act if we come to power.”
The Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964, makes it illegal to kill any animal other than a calf of a she-buffalo unless such person has a certificate in writing from a competent authority certifying that the animal is fit for slaughter. Meanwhile, the Bill introduced by the BJP places a ban on making it illegal to buy, sell, transport, slaughter, or trade all cattle (cows, bulls, buffaloes, oxen) unless they are older than 13 years old and have been proven that they are unfit for breeding, draught or milking. Under the new law, those found guilty will be imprisoned for a maximum of seven years or fined up to Rs 5 lakh.
Speaking about the controversial anti-conversion law that the BJP passed, Siddaramaiah said, “Article 21 of the Constitution already gives everyone the freedom to choose their religion and to follow any religion they want. This [the law passed by the BJP] has been done to erase the minorities. If we come to power, we will restore it to whatever the law said earlier.”
The Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022, states that it will prohibit any “unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means.”
The senior Congress leader also told TNM that this will be his last election and he would want to defeat BJP. He said, “BJP should not come to power again because the social harmony in the society will be totally spoiled. Farmers, minority communities, and backward communities are not living happily. There is a threat to democracy and the Constitution.”
Watch: Will repeal anti-conversion, cow slaughter laws: Siddaramaiah | Karnataka Elections 2023