K’taka passes anticow slaughter bill
The Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp)-led
government in Karnataka on Monday passed the contentious anti-cattle slaughter legislation in the upper house of the state legislature even as the opposition created a ruckus against the law. The new legislation expands the scope of an existing law to protect cattle from slaughter. “It is an essential law to protect cattle and has been brought with people and animals, both in mind,” Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka’s home, law and parliamentary affairs minister said on Monday. The Congress tore up copies of the bill in the well of the house to protest the deputy chairman’s decision not to extend the discussions to Tuesday. The B.s.yediyurappa-led state government has already promulgated the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Ordinance that widens existing provisions for punishment on killing of cattle.
JALANDHAR Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and leader of opposition (LOP), Harpal Singh Cheema, on Monday sought the deployment of paramilitary forces in the state to deal with, what he claimed was, the worsening law and order situation and ensure that the elections are conducted fairly.
He conducted rallies as part of the campaign in favour of party candidates in Nakodar, ahead of the municipal bodies’ elections.
Cheema alleged that the Congress was intimidating and attacking the AAP candidates, adding that they had been prevented from filing nomination papers at various places, violating the democratic values and breach of peace.
Lashing out at Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on the law and order situation in the state, Cheema said that Captain was doing nothing on the worsening law and order, ahead of upcoming local bodies’ polls.
CHEEMA ALLEGES CONGRESS WAS INTIMIDATING AND ATTACKING AAP CANDIDATES
CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday clarified that the Montek Singh Ahluwalia committee report was never implemented. He was reacting to the reports that the committee constituted by him, recommended reforms in farming sector as mandated in the three farm laws passed by the Modi government.
In his tweet message, Amarinder Singh termed the report submitted last year by former deputy chairman of planning commission Ahluwalia as a preliminary, adding that by rejecting the recommendations on the farm sector, he made his government’s stand clear.
In a report submitted to the state government in August last year, Ahluwalia had termed policy of free power to agriculture sector as “highly regressive” because most of the subsidy accrues to farmers having bigger landholdings. It asked the state government to gradually reduce procurement of paddy from the extremely (subsoil) water stressed areas.
The report was commissioned by Punjab CM to seek suggestion on ‘medium and long term POSTCOVID economic strategy for Punjab’. “Anything that is not in farmers’ interest or adds to their burden will not be implemented in Punjab till I am there,” CM wrote on his twitter handle. He added the committee was an expert group whose task is to make recommendations. “But it’s my government’s job to accept or reject. I know the ground reality and I know what’s good for my farmers.”