Stirring up the drama surrounding the cow slaughter ban Bill, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh finally seems to have fallen in line with his party’s stand. In a complete reversal of his earlier stand, addressing a press conference here today, Digvijay said that the issue of cow slaughter is a state subject and in keeping with the country’s federal structure, it should be left to the states to legislate. Asked about the memorandum demanding a ban on cow slaughter in the entire country that he had forwarded to the Prime Minister, Digvijay said: ‘‘I merely forwarded a proposal I had received. The proposal had also expressed concern over the rise in beef exports.’’ Translation of CM’s January 30 letter from a press note titled ‘‘Put a countrywide ban on Cow Slaughter’’ on the MP government’s website: Respected Atalji, A delegation of the Madhya Pradesh Krishak Mandal, Bhopal, met me today and presented a memorandum which states that the Government of India has not taken any legal and administrative measures to ban slaughter of cow, due to which cows are being slaughtered and beef is being produced legally throughout the country. A publication of the Government of India giving statistics of beef export from 1997 to 2001 has been enclosed with the memorandum. I hereby feel it necessary to inform that cow slaughter has been fully banned by the MP government in the state. The MP Assembly has already passed and sent to you a resolution urging for a ban on export of beef. The MP government is working with commitment for protection of mother cow and to check the sale of beef in the state. The memorandum presented by the MP Krishak Mandal demands a countrywide ban on cow slaughter. This is a Central subject, therefore, it is being sent to you in original for necessary action. Asked whether he had forwarded a proposal that he did not agree with, he said: ‘‘I have made my position clear. This is a state subject and under the federal structure of the Constitution it is a matter on which each state should take its own decision.’’ Pressed for his view on the issue of a ban, he said: ‘‘I am in favour of a ban in my state.’’ But even as Digvijay has carefully tried to distance himself from any suggestions that he had asked for such a ban, taking shelter behind the proposal submitted to him by a farmer’s delegation, this is the first time he has distanced himself from any move to impose such a ban at the national level. The text of the letter written on January 30 to the PM itself shows how Digvijay’s stand has ‘‘evolved’’ in keeping with political realities. ‘‘The memorandum presented by the Madhya Pradesh Krishak Mandal demands a nationwide ban on cow slaughter. This is a Central subject, therefore, it is being sent to you in original for necessary action,’’ it said. In other words, what has once been a ‘‘Central subject’’ has now turned into a state subject with the Congress facing difficulties.
