Kumaraswamy calls restrictions on cattle slaughter a regressive move

The former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, has termed the Union government’s decision to impose restrictions on selling cattle for slaughter houses as a regressive move that would adversely affect farmers. Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said while a poor farmer was struggling to have three square meals a day, how can he take care of non-milking cows. He said the Union government should also take steps to open cattle sheds to take care of such animals. Such a restriction could also have a large impact on the meat industry, he said, adding that the industry was providing employment to lakhs of families. “Has the government thought of alternative source of income for these families?,” he asked. Mr. Kumaraswamy also accused the BJP of targeting the opposition party leaders who have challenged its anti-people policies using the Central agencies. Mr. Kumaraswamy said that envied over his popularity, BJP leaders tried to tie him up in a legal tangle by complaining against him with the Income Tax Department about possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income. This allegation was a fake one and it would boomerang on the BJP, he said. Lashing out at BJP State president B. S. Yeddyurappa over his claim of writing off crop loan if the BJP comes to power in 2018, Mr. Kumaraswamy said Mr. Yeddyurappa has no moral right to issue such statements. “During the JD(S)-BJP regime in the State, we decided to wave farm loans. But it was Mr. Yeddyurappa who opposed the move as the then Finance Minister,” he said.