Hyderabad: Impounding of animals exempted from beef ban such as oxen and buffaloes on the city outskirts ahead of Bakrid has alarmed Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) following which it has written to Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao seeking his intervention in putting an end to “harassment” faced by cattle transporters at the hands of government officials.
Former Azampura corporator and Majlis Bachao Tahreek spokesperson Amjedullah Khan claimed that instead of ensuring that no cow slaughter takes place, the authorities — meaning police, revenue officials, animal husbandry department and municipal officials — were “harassing” cattle transporters.
The MBT has objected to police stopping vehicles carrying oxen and buffaloes into city limits and the subsequent impounding of animals and vehicles.
The party has also opposed the requirement of producing documents from veterinary doctors certifying the animal’s fitness asserting that old and ailing animals can anyway not be sacrificed.
“The onus of getting fitness certificates should be on the seller, not the buyer. This is unfair. Some police officials are asking cattle transporters to show certificates. This should not be done,” Khan said. There do no appear to be “clear” instructions on the issue, he claimed.
Suggesting a solution, Khan said, “There are several checkposts across the city. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) can post its veterinary doctors at all checkposts to ensure that traders there are not wronged.” He questioned why the provisions of cruelty to animals are invoked “only in the days preceding Bakrid”.
The MBT leader also flagged the issue of unscrupulous elements who have been masquerading as “cow protection activists”.
“Police should take swift action against such people and ensure that festivals pass off peacefully. A vitiated atmosphere should not prevail in the city,” he said.
Courtesy: TOI