Madras HC adjourns PIL against Centre's ban on sale of cattle

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday adjourned till June 7 another PIL filed challenging the Centre's recent notification banning the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets, for slaughter.

When the PIL came up, the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sunder adjourned the matter to Wednesday for further hearing.

The matter relates to the PIL seeking to declare the notification of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017 by the Centre, as illegal, unconstitutional, and ultra vires of the Constitution.

The petitioner, an advocate owing allegiance to VCK party, alleged that on the pretext of framing rules to prevent the trans-boundary smuggling of cattle, the Centre has imposed its "Hindutva ideology" by way of banning sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter from animal markets.

Instead of making a valid rule to prevent international sales and smuggling, as well trans-boundary smuggling, the Centre under a misconception has drafted and notified the Rule, banning sale of cattle at animal markets for slaughter, which is ultra vires to the provisions of the Constitution dealing with Article 14, 19 (1) (g), 21, 25 and 29, the petitioner contended.

The question is whether the Centre under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 is empowered to notify such Rules, when the subject matter falls under the state subject, the petitioner said.

The notification has triggered protests by non-BJP parties and state governments of Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry which stridently oppose it.

Protesters have alleged that it infringed upon the food habits of people.