Bengaluru: Karnataka Assembly passed Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Bill on Wednesday, without discussion. The bill, which defines “beef” as “flesh of cattle (cow, calf, bull, bullock and male or female buffalo bellow 13 years)”, provides between three and seven years jail and (or) a fine up to ₹ 5 lakh. Subsequent offences can invite fines up to ₹ 10 lakh, and a jail term of up to seven years.

Earlier today, after the bill was tabled in the House, cows were brought into the Vidhana Soudha, or Secretariat, and Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan performed a puja for them. He told to the media persons that “This is the blessings of the six crore people of Karnataka. I thank the Chief Minister and the leaders for giving me this opportunity. This is the first time that the cow puja has been done here”.  Karnataka BJP in a tweet said, calling the bill “much-awaited” and said: “Our Government, under Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, is on its way to honour yet another of its promise”.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah called the Government’s Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation bill presentation in the Assembly is a Coward. In a series of five tweets, the senior Congress leader said the anti-cow slaughter bill had been “introduced and passed without any discussion”, and that the opposition party would boycott Thursday’s Assembly session to protest an “anti-democratic act”.

Siddharamaiah also tweeted “Only a coward Government, which can’t debate, can behave like this. They can’t stop us through their autocratic behaviour. We will take this to the people to fight against BJP’s corruption and despotism”. “Congress will boycott (the) Assembly session tomorrow in protest against (the) anti-democratic act of Karnataka BJP,” he added.