CR Paatil: Asked CM Bhupendra Patel to reconsider cattle law for rural population in Gujarat

The state BJP chief, who had in October last year rebuked Vadodara Mayor Keyur Rokadia for the attacks due to stray cattle, said that the civic body has “enough power” to tackle the issue.

In an interaction with media persons during the party event in Varnama, Paatil fielded questions on the recent incidents of cattle attacks in the city.

“I have instructed the Mayor to restart the crackdown on stray cattle, which had been done once… To deal with the menace of stray cattle in cities, the civic bodies have enough laws to restrain them. There is no need for additional law,” Paatil said.

Paatil further said that the reason he had made a representation to CM Patel after the Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Cattle Control (Keeping and Moving) in Urban Areas Bill, 2022 — aimed at regulating stray cattle in Gujarat’s eight major cities as well as 162 towns having Municipalities — was for protecting the “interest of rural population”.

Paatil said, “The law would have required even cattle owners in rural areas to secure licenses for having animals. So, based on the representations we received, we requested the chief minister to reconsider the law because for people from villages to get licenses or be fined for having cattle was not feasible… It would not be right to penalise the village cattle owners as per provisions of the law when civic bodies have enough power to tackle their issues.”

When told that Rokadia had cited the lack of laws as a reason for his “hands being tied”, Paatil said, “I will ask the Mayor why he says his hands are tied.”

Slamming Congress leader Bharatsinh Solanki for his comments on Ram Mandir, Paatil said, “Yesterday, a Gujarat Congress leader made a statement about Ram Mandir and made it clear that he needs to be taken to a mental asylum for treatment. They should stop playing with the sentiments of Hindu brothers and sisters for I am warning them from this stage that if they attempt to do this again and again, the Hindu brethren will teach them a fitting lesson…”