Karnataka Assembly passes anti-cow slaughter bill; Congress' Siddaramaiah calls for CLP meet today

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 10 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah has called for a legislative party meeting on Thursday morning.
The meeting has been called for 10.30 am today.
According to sources, the meeting is likely to discuss the anti-cow slaughter bill that was passed in the Karnataka assembly on Wednesday amid uproar and walkout by opposition parties, Congress and the JD(S).
Speaker Vishweshar Hegde Kageri called on Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan to introduce the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, which was passed by voice vote in the house yesterday. The bill provides between three and seven years jail and (or) a fine up to Rs 5 lakh. Subsequent offences can invite fines up to Rs 10 lakh and a jail term of up to seven years.
Explaining the provisions of the bill, Karnataka Minister JC Madhuswamy said: "The slaughter of cows and calves are not allowed while the slaughter of buffaloes above 13 years is allowed. Illegal selling, transportation or culling of cows has been made punishable. If a cow has contracted a disease, which can spread to other cattle, then it can be culled or slaughtered."
The opposition parties alleged that the bill was not discussed for tabling in the Business Advisory Committee meeting.
Siddaramaiah took to Twitter to state that the anti-cow slaughter bill was "quickly passed without any discussion". He said that chief minister BS Yediyurappa had "told in the advisory committee that no new bill will be presented in the assembly. The anti-Cow slaughter bill was not there in today's agenda also. But, all of a sudden, the bill was introduced and passed without any discussion. This is the murder of democracy."
The Congress leader also said that his party would also boycott today's Assembly session. The session, which was originally to run for a week, was cut short to four days and today is the last day.
"Only a coward government, which can't debate, can behave like this. They can't stop us through their autocratic behaviour. We will take this to the people to fight against BJP's corruption and despotism," Siddaramaiah tweeted.
"Administration has completely collapsed in the State and there is dissent in @BJP4Karnataka as well. The govt is trying to cover up their failures and misguide people by bringing up issues like Anti-Cow slaughter bill," he posted in a subsequent tweet.
After the anti-cow slaughter bill was tabled in the house some BJP members including minister Prabhu Chauhan, cabinet minister KS Eshwarappa brought two cows into the premises of Vidhan Soudha and performed a puja for them. (ANI)