MP cow slaughter law may be misused

Minorities will be targeted just the way any anti-terror law is used to point fingers at Muslims, he added.

Madhya Pradeshs amended legislation that allows raiding of any premises on the assumption that cow slaughter is likely to take place,or beef is likely to be stored or transported,could be misused,feel jurists,minorities and political parties.

Besides increasing the maximum jail term for offences under the MP Govansh Vadh Pratishedh Vidhayak to seven years,the new law allows a head constable or senior police officials,or anyone authorised by a competent authority to enter and inspect any premises within the local limits of his jurisdiction,where he has reasons to believe that an offence has been,is being or is likely to be committed and shall take necessary action (search and seizure).

Former Supreme Court judge Justice Faizanuddin said,Mere suspicion cant be a basis for action,there has to be some material evidence. He said the provision is not in contravention with the existing law,but there has to be checks and balances. Minorities will be targeted just the way any anti-terror law is used to point fingers at Muslims, he added.

However,former SC judge Justice Ripusudan Dayal said that every law can be misused,but only the affected can challenge the provision. You cant strike down a law for merely having such a provision, Dayal said.

Congress MLA Arif Aqueel,the dissenting voice when the law was being passed in the Assembly,said it would be used to target Muslims. They should have brought a legislation to deal with proper disposal of skin and meat, he said.

Former Congress Home Minister Satyadev Katare said the power to inspect and act should not have been given to lower constabulary who are likely to misuse it at the ruling partys instance. While spokesperson of MP Catholic Church Fr Anand Muttungal said the law would be misused just like the anti-conversion law,CPM state general secretary Badal Saroj termed it as fascist.

The state does not have a laboratory that can tell the difference between cow meat and buffalo meat, Saroj said,alleging that police officials and bureaucracy are already communal and the new legislation will give them unbridled powers to target the Muslims. Calling the BJP hypocrites,he said the party supported the 1992 presidential bid of G G Swell,former deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha and an MP from Shillong,who was vocal about his beef eating habits.