Govt to implement High Court order on beef sale: Deputy CM

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government was committed to implement the order of the state High Court prohibiting sale and slaughter of bovine animals, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said today and accused the separatists and opposition political parties of communalising the whole issue. "The BJP-PDP coalition is committed to implement the order of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court against beef sellers and cow slaughterers. The separatists and the mainstream opposition parties are trying to communalise the whole issue", Singh told reporters here today.

He accused the opposition National Conference and the Congress of trying to politicise the issue by turning it into a controversy even after the directions had come from the High Court. Singh said Jammu and Kashmir has a law that bans the sale of beef and cow slaughter. "As the order has come from the High court, to implement the already existing law, it will be implemented in letter and spirit", he said.

"While we understand the ideology of Hurriyat people but the people from Congress and National conference are also busy to communalise it", Singh said He said the opposition parties need to understand that Jammu and Kashmir was a secular state where Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists also reside and their religious sentiments needs to be taken care of. "Cow slaughter has been banned since Maharaja Ranjit Singh's time and continued till Maharaja Gulab Singh to Hari Singh", he said. The Deputy Chief Minister said that the ban remained in force in the last 67 years and was not revoked by any successive government in the state right from Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah to Omar Abdullah.

"Now the National Conference is objecting over the ban on beef and cow slaughter", he said Singh accused the National Conference of "instigating" the passions of the people of the state by trying to "divide" them on religious lines.