Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The cow is considered sacred by India's Hindu majority

The western Indian state of Gujarat has passed a law making the slaughter of cows punishable with life imprisonment.

Under an amendment to the state's Animal Preservation Act, those found guilty of transporting beef will also be jailed for 10 years.

The cow is considered sacred by India's Hindu majority, and killing cows is illegal in many states.

But the new amendment means Gujarat now has the toughest laws on the issue in the country.

Offenders will face heavy fines, as well as time behind bars. The penalty for either act has been doubled from 50,000 rupees ($771; £618) to 100,000 rupees.

Gujarat Minister of State Pradipsinh Jadeja told reporters that the cow was a symbol of Indian culture and the amendments to the act had been made "in consultation with the people".

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also spoken repeatedly of "harsh" punishment for those who kill cows.

The new law will come into effect once approved by the state's governor.</s>In what could be called the toughest law against cow slaughter in India, Gujarat on Friday passed a Bill that seeks to award life imprisonment to those found guilty of slaughtering cows.

Prime Minister Modi's home state has increased the conviction sentence for cow slaughter from maximum seven years to life imprisonment. The Bill -The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 - was brought in by the Animal Husbandry department of Gujarat.

The maximum fine for the offence has also been increased from Rs 50,000 to up to Rs 5 lakh and not less than Rs 1 lakh.

It has also made a provision that will allow state government to forfeit any vehicles caught in illegal transportation of cow, beef or beef products in the state.

"The vehicles or any conveyance so seized under sub section (3) shall stand forfeited to government in the manner as my be prescribed," the bill said.

"In the year 2011, the State Government had made certain amendments in the said Act for better implementation of the Act. It is, however, experienced while implementing the said Act that still more stringent provisions are required to be made by amending the said Act for curbing the menace of illegal slaughtering of the animals covered under the said Act to provide for more stringent punishment and effectively check the rampant use of vehicles for transporting such animals," the Bill reads.

Earlier in 2011, the then chief minister Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government had imposed a complete ban on slaughtering and transportation of cow and progeny by amending the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954. Cow slaughter is banned in 24 Indian states.</s>THE GUJARAT government Friday amended the state’s Animal Preservation Bill to entail a maximum punishment of life imprisonment and a minimum of 10 years for cow slaughter after it was passed in the assembly in the absence of the Opposition Congress and with the visitors’ gallery packed with saffron-clad Hindu priests.

The passage of the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 came eight months after seven Dalits were beaten by self-styled cow vigilantes for alleged cow slaughter in Una. The punishment for cow slaughter under the earlier law was imprisonment ranging from three to seven years. The new law also makes offences under the amended Act non-bailable.

The amendment was cleared after the Speaker suspended members of the Congress for creating a ruckus when the Bill was passed. Speaking on the amendment, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, “I am not against any food.” Declaring that he wanted to make Gujarat “shakahari (vegetarian)”, Rupani said, “We do not want Jersey cows, but Gir and Kankreji cows instead.”

Rupani also described Gujarat as a “unique state”, which followed the tenets of Mahatma Gandhi — “non-violence and truth”. “This is Gandhi’s Gujarat, Sardar’s (Vallabhbhai Patel) Gujarat and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi’s Gujarat,” said Rupani.

When the amendment Bill was introduced over a month ago, it had a maximum punishment of ten years imprisonment. On Friday, however, the ruling BJP moved a to enhance the punishment to a life-term.

In another major amendment, the Bill included a provision that vehicles caught in transporting cows, beef or beef products illegally will be forfeited to the state government. The maximum fine for the offence has also been increased from Rs 50,000 to one ranging from Rs 1 lakh-Rs 5 lakh.

Besides, the punishment for conviction for illegal transportation of cow, beef or beef products has been increased from three years imprisonment to seven years.

The Act allows transportation of animals of cow progeny with permission, but only between 7 pm and 5 am. The statement of the Bill reads, “In the year 2011, the State Government had made certain amendments in the said Act for better implementation of the Act. It is, however, experienced while implementing the said Act that still more stringent provisions are required to be made by amending the said Act for curbing the menace of illegal slaughtering of the animals covered under the said Act to provide for more stringent punishment and effectively check the rampant use of vehicles for transporting such animals.”

During the discussion on the Bill, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said, “This is not a Bill, but a feeling of crores of Indians. It is my humble attempt to give voice to the cows being killed by butchers. A single drop of cow blood falling on earth pains Hindus. With this law, Vijaybhai Rupani’s government will make Gujarat cow-slaughter-free.”

Jadeja also offered his respects to the “Hindu saints” in the visitors gallery, and said that he was he was “feeling proud as a Hindu” to introduce the Bill in the House.

One of those present in the gallery, Kaniramji Bapu of Dudhrej in Surendranagar district, an important religious seat of the maldhari community (cattle herders) in Gujarat, said, “We oppose cow slaughter and believe in its preservation. And so, we came here in support of the Act. Cows should be preserved and their slaughtering must end.”

Another religious figure, Mahant Vikramgiri from Ghela-Somnath of Jasdan in Rajkot district, said, “Around 300 sadhu-sants have come to Assembly. Since the government had announced that they will bring the Bill, we knew it in advance and are here to support it.”

In 2011, when Narendra Modi was chief minister of Gujarat, the state government had imposed a complete ban on slaughter of cows, transportation and selling of cow meat by amending the Act.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App now</s>If the newly elected BJP government in Uttar Pradesh launched a crackdown on illegal slaughter houses immediately after the Assembly polls, another BJP-ruled State, Gujarat, which goes to the polls later this year, came up with an amendment to make cow slaughter an offence punishable with life term, a first in the country.

The most stringent provision in the amendment Bill is awarding maximum imprisonment up to life, but not less than 10 years, to those found involved in slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks.

The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, passed by the Assembly in the absence of Opposition members who were suspended from the House on the last day of the budget session, has also made cow slaughter, transportation of cow or beef and beef products a cognisable and non-bailable offence.

The Bill also bans transportation of animals from one place to another at night while providing for permanent forfeiture of vehicles involved in the transportation of progeny of cows, beef and beef products.

It has also proposed a fine which “may extend to ₹5 lakh but shall not be less than ₹1 lakh” for those found guilty of cow slaughter.

In the statement of objects of the Bill, the government noted that “it is considered necessary to provide for more deterrent punishment for offences committed by contravening the provisions of the Act and also to make the offences cognisable and non-bailable.”

Under the existing Gujarat Animal Preservation Act 1954, which was amended in 2011 by the then government headed by Narendra Modi, the maximum jail term for cow slaughter was seven years, but not less than three years.

However, seeking more stringent provisions, the government noted that curbing the menace of illegal slaughter required a tougher law.

“The Gujarat Assembly passed a cow protection Bill, among the most stringent in the country, making cow slaughter a life-time punishable offence,” Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, adding, “Protection of cows is the single most important principle towards saving the whole world from both moral and spiritual degradation.”

Piloting the amendment Bill in the Assembly, junior Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja said, “Cows don’t only have a religious significance but also economic significance in our society and it is utmost necessary to enhance penal action to deter those involved in slaughtering cows and their progeny.”</s>The western Indian state of Gujarat has passed a law making the slaughter of cows punishable with life imprisonment.

The state had imposed a blanket ban on cow slaughter and ferrying of beef in the state in 2011, under the then chief minister Narendra Modi. From the time of passing this law, the offences associated with cow slaughter in Gujarat were covered under the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act of 2011.

The penalty for either act has also been doubled from 50,000 Indian rupees (770 US dollars) to 100,000 rupees (1,540 USA dollars).

Under this Act, the people found involved in cow-slaughtering or transporting beef will serve jail term up to 7 years and penalised fine up to Rs. 50,000. The offence will likely be made cognizable and non-bailable.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had declared earlier this month that the BJP is committed to protect Gau (cow), Ganga and Gita. Now, we want to make this law stricter.

In the past six years, even though 1,000 cases were registered every year, a long-drawn legal process and provision for bail had reduced the law to a mere lip service as not a single case had seen conviction so far. “We will introduce a bill in the ongoing budget session of the assembly”, Rupani had said on 12 March at a function held in Junagadh, organised by Swaminarayan sect. “The law itself needs to be revised for effectively checking the use of vehicles for transporting animals to slaughter”.</s>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat on Friday increased the punishment for cow slaughter from seven years to life imprisonment as Hindu hardliners push for tougher protections for the holy animal.

Under the stiffened penalties passed by Gujarat's state assembly, anyone caught transporting cows for slaughter could also face up to 10 years in jail.

Cows are considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, and their slaughter is illegal in most states.

“A cow is not an animal. It is symbol of universal life,” Gujarat law minister Pradipsinh Jadeja told the state's assembly.

“Anybody who does not spare the cow, the government will not spare him.”

The amendment still needs the approval of the state governor ─ a formality all but assured ─ before becoming law.

Millions from India's huge minority populations ─ including Muslims, Christians and lower-caste Hindus ─ eat beef, although it is not widely available.

But Modi's ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, which recently won India's largest state Uttar Pradesh in a landslide, has long campaigned for the protection of cows.

The BJP's new chief minister in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, has launched a crackdown on abattoirs since taking office in March that has ground the state's meat industry to a halt.

Hindu activists have long accused the Muslim-dominated meat industry of covering up the slaughter of cows and passing off the meat as buffalo, which are not revered as holy.

Cow slaughter is a hot-button issue in India, where even rumours of cows being transported can spark murderous reprisals and religious riots.

Squads of “cow protection” vigilantes are known to roam highways inspecting livestock trucks for any trace of the animal.

In 2015 a 50-year-old Muslim man accused of eating beef was dragged from his home in 2015 and beaten to death by a mob. Police later said it was mutton.</s>The Gujarat state assembly cleared the amended law for cow slaughter confirming life term as punishment for those found guilty of the offence. The maximum jail term under the previous law was seven years. With this, Gujarat becomes the state to enforce strictest punishment for cow slaughter anywhere in the country. Slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and buffaloes is prohibited in the state.

The last amendment of the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (1954) was in 2011 when the punishment was stretched to seven years in prison along with a fine of Rs 50,000 for those found guilty. Transporting the animals for the purpose of slaughter is also criminalised.

The amendment comes months before the state Assembly elections in which the ruling BJP has high stakes. Party president Amit Shah has asked workers to ensure the party gets at least 150 seats in the 182-member Assembly. Since 1995, Gujarat has been continuously ruled by the BJP.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App now</s>India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat on Friday increased the punishment for cow slaughter from seven years to life imprisonment as Hindu hardliners push for tougher protections for the holy animal.

Under the stiffened penalties passed by Gujarat's state assembly, anyone caught transporting cows for slaughter could also face up to 10 years in jail.

Cows are considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, and their slaughter is illegal in most states.

'A cow is not an animal. It is symbol of universal life,' Gujarat law minister Pradipsinh Jadeja told the state's assembly.

'Anybody who does not spare the cow, the government will not spare him.'

The amendment still needs the approval of the state governor - a formality all but assured - before becoming law.

Millions from India's huge minority populations - including Muslims, Christians and lower-caste Hindus - eat beef, although it is not widely available.

But Modi's ruling right-wing party, the BJP, which recently won the municipal elections in India's largest state Uttar Pradesh with a landslide, has long campaigned for the protection of cows.

The BJP's new chief minister in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, has launched a crackdown on abattoirs since taking office in March that has ground the state's meat industry to a halt.

Hindu activists have long accused the Muslim-dominated meat industry of covering up the slaughter of cows and passing off the meat as buffalo, which are not revered as holy.

Four mechanised plants, which slaughter and process buffalo meat, were shut last week by district administration across UP.

'I have not seen such scarcity of raw meat in the last 35 years that we have been in business,' said Mohamad Khalid, owner of Al-Nafis dhaba in Dasna, Ghaziabad.

The second generation dhaba owner added: 'The last 10 days have been harrowing. This is worse than the demonetisation phase.'

Several other BJP-ruled states, including Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, have followed suit, ordering closures of abattoirs operating without licences, according to media reports and local officials.

Cow slaughter is a hot-button issue in India, where even rumours of cows being transported can spark murderous reprisals and religious riots.

Squads of 'cow protection' vigilantes are known to roam highways inspecting livestock trucks for any trace of the animal.

In 2015 a 50-year-old Muslim man, Mohammad Akhlak, was accused of eating beef and was dragged from his home in 2015 and beaten to death by a mob in an attack that also left his son critically injured.

The rumours that the family had eaten beef began when a calf was reported missing in Dadri village.

'An announcement about the family consuming beef was made at a temple, after which the mob descended on the man's house,' said Kiran S, the superintendent in charge of the case.

The Indian Express quoted Akhlaq's daughter Sajida as saying the family had mutton in the fridge and not beef.

'They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother. My father was dragged outside and beaten with bricks,' she told the newspaper.

Police later said it was mutton.</s>The Gujarat Assembly on Friday passed a Bill that increased the punishment for cow slaughter in the BJP-ruled state from 7-10 years, to life imprisonment.

A fine of up to Rs 1 lakh could also be imposed on those found guilty of the crime, while the vehicle that was used for transportation would be permanently confiscated. The offence will likely be made cognizable and non-bailable.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2011, his government had amended the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 1954 to impose a complete ban on the slaughtering and transportation of cows and progeny in the state.

Interestingly, the BJP government at the Centre, which has consistently reiterated its stand against cow slaughter, has said that there would be no ban on beef in the three northeastern states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland which are supposed to go to polls next year.</s>“We will hang those who kill cows,” Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh declared today, a day after BJP-ruled Gujarat passed a more stringent law making cow slaughter punishable with life term.

“Does such a thing happen in Chhattisgarh? I don’t think it has happened in the last 15 years (of BJP rule). If it happens, we will hang those who dare do it (Marega to latka denge),” Singh told reporters in Raipur.

He was responding to queries by journalists whether his government would, like Yogi Adityanath’s in UP, take a tough stand on cow slaughter.

Slaughter of cow, buffalo, bull, bullock, calf, and possession of their meat is banned in Chhattisgarh. Transport, export to other states for slaughter is also banned. These offences attract same punishment of 7 years’ jail and fine up to Rs 50,000.

The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill was approved by the Legislative Assembly yesterday, providing for life imprisonment for cow slaughter, the first in the country. The bill also has a provision for ten-year imprisonment for transportation, storage or sale of beef. Cow slaughter is already banned in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi accused the BJP of “hypocrisy” over beef ban after the saffron party said it would not be extended to the northeastern states.

“In UP, cow is mummy, and in the northeastern states it’s yummy. This shows BJP’s hypocrisy. While they are talking about beef ban in UP, they have said there would be no such thing in the northeast.

“Assembly elections are going to be held in three states in the northeast. Beef is easily available in (BJP-ruled) Goa. You tell me what is this,” he told a TV news channel.

Reacting to the Hyderabad MP’s remarks, BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said,” What’s this mummy, yummy thing. Owaisi says he has faith in the Indian Constitution.

“Article 48 of the Constitution says cow slaughter will be prohibited. Let him say he has no faith in some articles of the Constitution, then we will see,” he said.

Article 48 of the Constitution says,” The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.”

N Biren Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur too slammed Owaisi for his comments.

“Such wild allegations should not be made. We worship cows, we preserve them. He (Owaisi) cannot make such observations about the entire northeast,” he said in Manipur capital Imphal.

In Manipur, the erstwhile Maharaja had in 1939 decreed prosecution for cow slaughter, but buffalo meat is consumed widely.

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi supportered Owaisi’s hypocrisy remark against BJP, saying it has been used by the saffron party as a “tool to further its politics”.

“We have heard what Raman Singh has said….what’s happening in UP. The hypocrisy behind cow protection is obvious. Saying that there will be no beef ban in northeastern states is political opportunism,” she said.

Soon after assuming office, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered strict enforcement of the ban on cow slaughter and smuggling. Slaughter of buffaloes for meat is, however, allowed in the state. Buffalo meat trade in the state has been badly hit by the clampdown on illegal abattoirs.

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The Indian state of Gujarat passes a law which makes the slaughter of a cow punishable by life imprisonment.