Youth Congress Workers Arrested for Slaughtering Ox in Public

New Delhi: Eight people, including the Kannur Youth Congress district president Rijil Makkutty, were arrested for allegedly slaughtering an ox in public.

The Youth Congress activists allegedly slaughtered an ox during a protest against Centre's notification on sale of cattle for the purpose of slaughter.

Rijil Makulti and the others have been booked under Section 120 (a) of Kerala Police Act, Section 3, Section 11 (1), a, d of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and IPC Sections 143,147 read with 149.

However, all these sections are bailable.

The Congress has already suspended the members of its youth wing who had participated in a 'beef fest' organised in Kerala.

"A case has been registered under Sect 120 A of the Kerala Police Act on the basis of a complaint of Yuva Morcha activist", Kannur SP Siva Vikram had said.

The offence deals with slaughtering any animal in a way that causes annoyance or inconvenience to the public and is punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine of up to Rs 5,000 or with both.

Despite Congress’s efforts to distance itself from the incident, Makulti said he had no regrets. "We don't regret our act. This was done as part of our protest," he told a television channel on Sunday.

The central government’s notification has triggered a political storm in Kerala with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shooting off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the ban amounted to an "intrusion" into the rights of the states.

"Absence of efforts to take the states into confidence on such a drastic move, with far reaching consequences, is detrimental to our democracy," Vijayan had said. "I am afraid it amounts to an intrusion into the rights of the state in our federal structure," he added.

He had said meat was the primary source of protein for millions of the poor and ordinary people in the country, particularly Dalits. Such restrictions being imposed on the eve of Ramzan, would certainly appear to certain communities in the country as a "direct attack on them," Vijayan had said.

The Centre has banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter, a move that is expected to hit export and trade of meat and leather.