Chandigarh: The BJP-led Haryana government, that put into force a stringent cow protection law earlier this month, has no plans to ban the sale of items made from calf leather in the state, the Assembly was informed here today.
Senior Congress leader and party MLA, Karan Singh Dalal sought to know if there was any proposal under the state government’s consideration to ban the sale of items made from calf leather, on the first day of the winter session of the assembly.
Replying to the question raised by the opposition member during the Question Hour, Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar informed the House that there was no such proposal under consideration.
Dalal shot back by saying that the Manohar Lal Khattar government was talking about protecting cows, but was “silent on sale of items made from calf leather”.
“Allowing sale of items made from calf leather in the state will mean contravening your own law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the state’s cow protection law takes even minutest things into account.
He told the house as far as removal of skin from the dead cows goes, the law has made its position clear. Dead cow will include a cow and a calf also, the Chief Minister pointed out seeking to make distinction between a cow who dies on its own as against the one who is slaughtered.
Khattar said that many were associated with leather trade and the government was not opposed to anyone who is following law of the land.
“But we are against cow slaughter,” he said.
Notably, on November 19, Haryana’s cow protection law came into force after President Pranab Mukherjee’s assent.
Under the provisions of the new law, cow trafficking, slaughtering and eating beef are banned in the state.
For “protection and upkeep” of cows, Haryana Assembly had in March this year passed the Bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three to ten years for killing the animal.