Tamil Nadu Moves Supreme Court Against High Court's Cow Slaughter Ban Order
The Tamil Nadu government has filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court challenging a Madras High Court order that directed a ban on cow slaughter across the state. The petition, filed by the Secretary to the State government, seeks to overturn the May 27 direction issued by a Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan.
The High Court had ordered the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to ensure that no cow or calf is slaughtered in Tamil Nadu, citing an August 1976 government order that prohibited cow slaughter in the interest of milk production and rural economy. The order was also based on Article 48 of the Constitution, which requires the state to take steps for prohibiting the slaughter of cows, calves, and other milch and draught cattle.
The original petition in the High Court was filed by K. Surya alias K. Surya Prasanth, the youth wing secretary of Indu Makkal Katchi. Advocate P.V. Yogeswaran, representing Mr. Surya, has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, ensuring that the state government's appeal is heard before any order is passed.
The state government's appeal argues that the High Court's directive oversteps legal boundaries and imposes an undue burden on the administration. The Supreme Court is now set to examine the validity of the High Court's order and the applicability of the 1976 government order in the current context.
This legal battle highlights the ongoing conflict between state policies, judicial interpretations, and constitutional directives regarding cow slaughter in India.
