A panel of Majlis e-Itteha dul Muslimeen (MIM) legislators led by party leader Syed Ahmed Pasha Quadri, met Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma on Thursday and asked him to check the "harrasment" that cattle traders were facing ahead of Bakrid.
Claiming that an "alarming situation has been created by the police, municipal, revenue and animal husbandry officials in Hyderabad", they added that many officials were harassing traders.
"The authorities are supposed to ensure that only the animals whose slaughter is banned (that is, cows) are not traded or transported for slaughter. However, we have been receiving complaints from various parts of the state about large-scale harassment of persons bringing the cattle (only oxen and buffaloes) for slaughter for Bakrid," a press release quoted the delegation as stating.
The legislators also alleged that police officials manning checkposts are stopping vehicles, imposing huge challans, registering FIRs, insisting on certificates from veterinary doctors, booking cases and seizing the cattle.
The legislators also alleged that the seized animals are being sent to gau-shalas (cattle sheds) run by "outfits of the Sangh Parivar."
Earlier this week, Muslim organizations petitioned the police to make arrangements for a system to provide them with animals for sacrifice during the upcoming festival of Bakrid.
"We request that arrangements for sale of animals for sacrifice be made through the animal husbandry department counters across the state, similar to how milk is sold through Vijaya Dairy on Id-ul-Fitr. This move will satisfy all the parties concerned, thereby reducing pressure on police too,'' the petition stated.