KOLKATA: Newly elected BJP MLA Rekha Patra has triggered a political controversy after she was seen intercepting a vehicle carrying cattle in Hingalganj and allegedly suggesting that those transporting cows should produce a “birth certificate”.On the alleged illegal transportation of cattle, Patra said, “Our government has issued a guideline stating that cattle below 14 years of age cannot be slaughtered. If anyone tries to take them away illegally, we must catch them immediately.”The remarks were later shared by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who criticised the BJP legislator, writing, “Newly elected BJP MLA in Bengal insists on birth certificates for bovines to prove they are of age. Parivartan.” Last week, the state government issued a public notice citing a 1950 Bengal law and a 2018 Calcutta High Court order, reiterating that cow slaughter without valid certification is banned.The order states, “No person shall slaughter any animal thereby meaning (bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes) unless he has obtained in respect thereof a certificate that the animal is fit for slaughter.”It further specifies that certification must be jointly issued by municipal or panchayat authorities along with a government veterinary surgeon, based on the animal’s age, health, and fitness. Appeals against refusal of certificates can be filed within a fortnight.The government has also cited the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, warning that violations could lead to up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000, or both.
