The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday said that the Parliament should now enforce a law declaring cow as our national animal and upon harming it, the perpetrator would face consequences.
Taking into consideration the importance of the animal in Indian culture, a bench consisting Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav said a fundamental right is not only the prerogative of beef eaters but also of those who worship cows and are financially dependent on it.
Allahabad High Court stated that the government should introduce a bill in Parliament and declare cow as the national animal.
The court also urged for strict law enforcement against those who are prone to harming the animal
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"The right to life is above the right to kill and the right to eat beef can never be considered a fundamental right," the court further said denying bail to Javed of Sambhal district, who allegedly stole a cow before killing and beheaded the animal.
"This is not the first offence of the applicant. Even before this offence, he had committed cow slaughter, which had disturbed the harmony in society," the court said, adding that if released on bail, the accused will again commit the same offence.
The HC further stated that apart from the Hindus, the Muslim rulers also considered it as an important part of India's culture during their reign and referred to Mughal emperors including Babur, Humayun and Akbar who adovocated prohibition of the sacrifice of cows in their religious festivals.
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The ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali, made cow slaughter a punishable offence, the HC added.
The court said cow should be declared a national animal as when a country's culture and faith gets hurt, the country becomes weak.
The court said the government should also bring laws against those who are running cow shelters but their aim is only to earn money in the name of the animal’s protection.
(With PTI Inputs)
