Mehbooba Mufti Says Beef Ban in Jammu and Kashmir is 'Routine'

SRINAGAR: Terming the court order to the police on implementing the ban on beef across Jammu and Kashmir as a "routine matter", the ruling Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said the ban is in vogue in three states across the country where it is not implemented strictly.

"It is just a routine matter. Our government has not used any force to implement the ban. There won’t be any major change in the government policy vis-a-vis slaughtering of bovine animals and sale of beef," Mehbooba, who is Lok Sabha MP from Anantnag constituency, said on the sidelines of a party function at north Kashmir's Bandipora.

The PDP president even the largest political parties, who had two-third majority in the assembly, didn't scrap the law, "Wherever the ban was imposed, authorities were forced to revoke it and allow the practice of slaughtering of bovine animals and sale of beef as usual.”

The ban on beef and slaughtering of bovine animals is a criminal act since 1947 under section 298 A&B of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.

The J&K High Court's order to police about "strict implementation" of the ban, had evoked sharp reaction from the opposition National Conference, separatist camp and civil society group in Kashmir who termed it as "politically motivated" and "interference in religious matters" of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Throwing his weight behind the PDP president, the party's Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar and former finance minister, Tariq Hamid Karra, said the judiciary must exhibit "great caution" while dealing with matters of "faith and religion."

"Sensitive religious matters should be left to the teachings of holy books and the preaching of Prophets. Judiciary has no right to intrude into that domain. The recent High Court order aimed at restraining sale of beef in the state is a case in point where the judiciary should have taken a principled stand to leave the matter to the Islamic jurisprudence, instead of trying to fish in troubled waters,” Karra said.

"The State has paid and is still paying a huge price by witnessing a tragic phase of death and destruction following a similar imprudent action in eighties by the then Governor Jagmohan. We can’t afford another gory phase with disastrous consequences,” he said.