NEW DELHI: An advocate requested the Supreme Court on Tuesday for an urgent hearing ahead of Eid, which falls on May 28, regarding the enforcement of cow slaughter laws across India. The plea, filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, a former vice president of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, aims to ensure that states enforce existing prohibitions on cow slaughter.
However, Chief Justice Surya Kant, heading the bench, responded sarcastically, questioning why the advocate raised the issue just a day before Eid, and stated that there was no necessity for an urgent hearing on the matter.
Historically, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the first states to implement a ban on cow slaughter in 1955, with a total of 20 states and Union Territories enacting similar prohibitions over the years. Currently, cow slaughter is still permitted in Kerala and some northeastern states. Recently, the West Bengal government reiterated its complete ban on cow slaughter without certification, as outlined in its 1950 Animal Slaughter Control Act.
Aggarwal referenced a 2005 ruling by a seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court in the Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat case, which upheld the validity of legislative measures that impose a complete ban on cow slaughter after thorough consideration of various constitutional, social, economic, cultural, and scientific factors related to cow protection.
