Cong playing politics of appeasement: Kateel

Mangaluru: Slamming the Congress over its opposition to anti-cow slaughter bill, the ruling BJP on Thursday charged its rival with resorting to 'politics of appeasement'.

State BJP chief Naleen Kumar Kateel said cows have a special place in the Indian culture and people have an emotional attachment to it.

The opposition party was resorting to 'appeasement politics' and "the Congress had always favoured cow slaughterers and their opposition to the Bill was not unexpected," he told reporters after performing 'Gau pooja' in front of the district BJP office here.

There was an urgent need to keep the Indian culture alive as the number of cattle in the country is declining, he claimed.

Kateel's charge against Congress comes a day after the state Assembly adopted the controversial The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill-2020.

The bill seeks a complete ban on its slaughter and provides for stringent punishment to those who indulge in smuggling, illegal transportation and atrocities on the cattle.

The punishment for offenders includes a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and fine of Rs five lakh.

The Congress had staged a walkout from the Assembly on Thursday, after alleging the bill was not discussed for tabling in the Business Advisory Committee meeting earlier.

The BJP state chief congratulated Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chavan who took the initiative to introduce the bill keeping in mind the interests of farmers.

Kateel, a lok Sabha MP, said the government would table the Bill against 'love jihad' in the next Assembly session.

"Love jihad" is a coinage used by right wing activists to refer to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to convert in the guise of love.