Rizwan Qureshi, the Congress candidate for Moradabad city, has now claimed that if he wins the upcoming election from his constituency the first thing he would do is reopen the slaughterhouses that remain shut in the state, reported Bhaskar.
It’s worth noting that when Yogi Adityanath’s government took office in 2017, one of the first things it did was shut down all of the state’s illegal slaughterhouses.
Qureshi claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police regularly harasses the Qureshi community, which he said have run out of business since the govt has shut down slaughterhouses in the state. So, the first thing he would do after coming to power is, reopen those slaughterhouses, said the Congress leader.
He said that he had lost the Nagar Nigam election of Uttar Pradesh by a very thin margin. Hopefully, people would vote for him and fill up the gap and once he is elected he would construct modern slaughterhouses in the district, promised Qureshi.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Qureshi said: “I will construct slaughterhouses equipped with modern and new technologies if I win the elections. In 2012, the NGT had directed the government to close the slaughterhouse and construct a new one with modern equipment. Until then, the government should make alternative arrangements for the slaughterhouse owners to earn their livelihood. If I win the election, I will ensure modern slaughterhouses are constructed in my constituency.”
Interestingly, Qureshi’s statements were ambiguous where he not only mentioned re-opening the illegal slaughterhouses but also promised that he would open modern slaughterhouses in his constituency.
Slaughtering cows and beef is banned in Uttar Pradesh, like in most states of the country. It’s worth mentioning here that prior to the Yogi govt, the regulations governing the operation and upkeep of slaughterhouses were not properly implemented, and permission was randomly granted to individuals who wanted to open slaughterhouses without regard for the rules.
Following Yogi Adityanath’s election as chief minister in 2017, the Supreme Court’s order and the Central Government’s directions in this regard were issued with stern instructions for execution. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued orders to ban cow smuggling and asked police for a plan to close down illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh
It may be noted that as part of its continuous drive to safeguard cows and stop smuggling, the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP administration in Uttar Pradesh has shut down 150 illegal slaughterhouses and identified 356 cattle mafias.
According to reports, in the last four and a half years, the state government has taken legal action against 1,823 suspects and seized assets worth more than Rs 18 crore from 68 smugglers charged under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act.
Cow smuggling, which has always been a big problem in Uttar Pradesh, resulting in numerous violent occurrences was also tackled firmly by the Yogi government, which in June 2020 approved to pass an ordinance aimed at protecting the cow and preventing crimes related to cow slaughter. The UP cabinet approved the Cow-Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
According to the reports, the proposed amendment includes a penal provision of imprisonment ranging from one year to ten years for physical damage to the cow and a fine from Rs one lakh to Rs three lakh in cases related to cow slaughter.
