A social media post this week questioning the Karnataka government over the availability of beef at a Bengaluru restaurant has sparked discussion about the anti-cattle slaughter law enacted by the Karnataka government last year. The post by Twitter user Satish Anna read, “Beef Ban in Karnataka is just an eyewash activity done by the BJP government to fool Hindus. Beef dishes are openly sold across Bangalore daily. @BSBommai doesn't have the guts to stop this and enforce the Ban”.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka enacted a stringent anti-cattle slaughter law in January 2021 making it illegal to transport, slaughter, trade all cattle (cows, bulls, oxen) in the state in January 2021. However, the anti-cattle slaughter law enacted by the Karnataka government in 2021 did not ban beef in all forms.
Though the law was widely interpreted as a ‘beef ban’, beef is still available in Karnataka since the Act does not restrict the procurement and transport of beef from other states. It also does not prohibit the slaughter of buffaloes over the age of 13.
TNM had earlier reported that those affected by the legislation include small farmers in rural areas as well as leather workers and people involved in meat export industries, a profession largely occupied by Dalits and Muslims.
The new law also protected 'good samaritans' who reported suspected cattle transportation to the police. Hindutva groups in Karnataka have long advocated for a ban on beef because they consider the cow to be a holy animal. Since the new law came into effect, over 500 cases were registered under it in 2021 with activists and experts saying that transporting cattle, even for legitimate purposes, is a risk due to self-proclaimed ‘cow protectors’. For instance, in March 2021, two Muslim drivers – Abdul Rehman and Mohammed Mustafa – from Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada district were assaulted by 25 men including members of the Hindutva group Bajrang Dal even though their vehicle was empty.
The state government also planned to reduce the burden on farmers by setting up goshalas in each district of the state. However, in March 2022, the Karnataka High Court said that it was not satisfied with the compliance affidavit filed by the state government about establishing goshalas to take care of stray cattle in the state.