3 min readKolkataMay 20, 2026 05:17 AM IST
First published on: May 19, 2026 at 04:53 PM IST
Following in the footsteps of senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddiqui Monday wrote to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, raising concerns regarding West Bengal’s new animal slaughter guidelines.
Siddiqui has highlighted that both Hindus and Muslims who depend on the seasonal trade of cows are facing financial distress due to the recent guidelines. He requested the chief minister to intervene by deploying veterinary doctors at the panchayat level. These doctors can provide the necessary certificates for the animals to be slaughtered.
The state government’s guidelines, which are being strictly enforced this year under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act of 1950, mandate that only animals aged 14 years and above can be legally slaughtered. Traders must obtain a joint certificate from either the chairman of a municipality or the sabhapati of a panchayat samiti, alongside a government veterinary surgeon, declaring the animal “fit for slaughter”. The administration has also strictly prohibited animal sacrifice in public spaces, limiting the practice to designated locations.
“It is respectfully submitted that Section 12 of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 empowers the State Government to grant exemption for slaughter of animals for religious purposes,” the letter, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, stated.
“In view of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Adha festival, I further request your good office to kindly make necessary arrangements so that veterinary doctors remain available at all Panchayat Offices till Eid for issuance of required fitness certificates and for smooth implementation of the legal procedure prescribed under the Act,” it added.
Siddiqui noted that due to the lack of timely veterinary certification and administrative challenges, low-income individuals from both Hindu and Muslim communities who are involved in the buying and selling of cattle and sacrificial animals are experiencing significant financial hardship and uncertainty.
“Many families are dependent upon such seasonal trade for their livelihood and survival. Delay in issuance of certificates and lack of administrative arrangements are causing substantial loss to poor cattle traders, farmers, transport workers, and members of the general public,” the letter said.
He also said that the timely deployment of veterinary doctors at panchayat offices will help maintain proper legal compliance, public hygiene, and administrative supervision, and will help avoid unnecessary public suffering and inconvenience during the religious festival.
On May 17, Chowdhury wrote a letter to CM Adhikari highlighting “unease and confusion among the Muslim community on the issue and suggested that in places like Murshidabad, the district administration may undertake measures to identify and demarcate specific locations where people could practise the customs associated with the religious faith they profess.
ISF’s Naushad Siddiqui (File photo). 
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