Two assaulted over cow slaughter protest, 1 held
Police arrested a man for allegedly assaulting and grievously injuring two tribal women who objected to his slaughtering a cow in Biswanath district of Assam.
Ahmed Ali was slaughtering the animal at his house on Friday when a group of residents, including the two women, objected. Enraged, Ali allegedly charged at the women with his machete and injured them. the women have been identified as Bodheswari Goswami, 40, and Bhanti Mallick, 42.
Ali then fled the scene before other villages could gather at the place. “However, prompt action by the police prevented the situation from getting out of hand,” the district’s additional deputy commissioner Asitakshya Chakraborty said.
The two women were rushed to the civil hospital in Biswanath Chariali town. Mallick, who sustained injuries to her head, was later shifted to Tezpur Medical College and Hospital.
“We arrested the accused for assaulting the women,” Diganta Choudhury, the district’s superintendent of police, told HT.
The incident happened a day after a bull died in Silchar after family members of a Bharatiya Janata Party worker allegedly attacked it with sticks.
The bull had reportedly entered their house.
sharp criticisms from the rival parties regarding the Centre’s cattle trade law, Union minister for science and technology Harsh Vardhan said that many states, including West Bengal, Tripura, Bihar and others, were consulted regarding the issue.
Still, if, any state has problem with the rule, they should present proposal with justification, it would be considered, but that too, with the consent of the apex court.
“There is no mention of interference in people’s food habits or ban on cattle slaughter in the new rule. In fact, many states like West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa were requested to file suggestions regarding the issue and based on their suggestions, few amendments were also included in the rule,” he said.
“Surprisingly, now some political parties are opposing it either intentionally, or failing to understand the rule properly,” said the Union minister on Friday night in Agartala.
“If they could placed justified proposals for their criticism towards the rule, it would be taken into consideration. But it is possible if the order of the Supreme Court gives green signal to it,” he said.