The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Madras High Court’s direction to the Tamil Nadu government to ban cow slaughter across the State. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while hearing an appeal filed by the Tamil Nadu government against the High Court’s May 27 directions.
Tamil Nadu Government Challenges HC Order
The State government had moved the apex court, arguing that the Madras High Court had gone beyond the scope of the public interest litigation (PIL), which only sought directions to prevent the slaughter of cows in public places.
According to the government, the High Court exceeded its jurisdiction by imposing a blanket prohibition on the slaughter of cows and calves across Tamil Nadu, including in designated slaughterhouses.
Government Says Order Contradicts Existing Laws
The appeal stated that the High Court’s direction effectively prohibited cow slaughter even in authorised slaughterhouses, contrary to the statutory framework governing animal slaughter in the State.
The Tamil Nadu government further submitted that the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2023, and the applicable food safety regulations regulate animal slaughter and do not impose an absolute ban. It also sought an interim stay on the operation of the High Court’s directions.
Earlier Appeal Before Supreme Court
Earlier on July 1, the Tamil Nadu government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court’s May 27 order, which imposed a blanket ban on the slaughter of cows and calves in the State.
The government maintained that the High Court had travelled beyond the framework of the law by directing a complete prohibition on cow slaughter.
Quote From the State’s Appeal
“In a writ petition seeking a direction to ‘prevent the slaughter of cows in public places’, the High Court ought to have travelled beyond the issue involved, to impose an absolute and blanket ban on the slaughter of cows and calves on the eve of Bakrid or any other day,” the appeal of the government stated.
On May 27, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by K Surya Prasanth, General Secretary of Hindu Makkal Katchi, seeking directions to prevent the slaughter of cows in public places, the Madras High Court had directed the State “to ensure that no cow or calf is slaughtered on the eve of Bakrid or on any other day”.
State Calls Blanket Ban Legally Unsustainable
Before the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government argued that the High Court’s order imposed a blanket ban on cow slaughter even in designated slaughterhouses, making it legally unsustainable as it runs contrary to the statutory framework governing animal slaughter in the State.
The petition further submitted that the Tamil Nadu Animal Preservation Act, 1958, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998, the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2023, and the relevant food safety regulations contemplate regulation of animal slaughter and not an absolute ban. The government also sought an interim stay on the operation of the High Court’s directions.
(with inputs from ANI)
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
