Maneka Gandhi bats for nation-wide ban on cow, buffalo slaughter

Pitching for a country-wide ban on cow and buffalo slaughter, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi tonight said that it would be wrong to give a religious colour to such a move.

"I think cow slaughter and buffalo slaughter should be banned... the reason for this is that 90% of this is illegal. The law says that you can kill them after a certain age (14 or 16). But all that which are being killed now are either pregnant or milking cows," Gandhi told English news channel NDTV in an interview here tonight.

"Because once it is going to be exported, no one wants them old. They only want those which are in the prime of their lives," she said.

As a result, have you seen the effect on milk, she questioned adding, "We have no milk in this country." Citing report that came about two years ago, Gandhi alleged that 80% of the milk in this country is fake and entire state of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have no real milk and that it is only "adulterated milk" which is in the supply.

"This can't be a religious aspect. Hindus sell the cows and buffaloes for killing... all every kind of persons from Sardars onwards or the tuck drives they carry them on one another, overloaded. The Muslims are the butchers, but that is because it is their profession. So, there is no question of having a religious angle on it," she said when asked whether she sees any religious angle behind the move.