The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to respond to a petition seeking “total prohibition” on slaughter of cows, old bulls, bullocks and buffaloes.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to reply to the petition before the next date of hearing on March 15.
The order came on a petition by Brishbhan Verma, an RTI activist and social worker. He sought to extend the prohibition on slaughter of cows to bulls and bullocks. Mr. Verma said these animals continue to provide dung and urine that can be used by farmers as manure and fertiliser even if they cannot assist in agricultural work and breeding after a certain age.
The petition, filed through advocate Prashant Shukla, also stated that the existing cow slaughter ban discriminates between male and female animals.
“If there is prohibition on slaughter, then male and female both are prohibited. Like when there is prohibition on lion, then lioness is also prohibited. There is prohibition on peacock, then peahen will also be prohibited. But the order is clearly about slaughter of ‘old-useless bulls, bullocks and old buffaloes,” the plea said
