The Indian Supreme Court suspended on Monday an order from Jammu and Kashmir high court banning the sale of beef for two months.
Setting aside the ban, the Supreme Court asked the high court to form a three-judge bench to examine the validity of penal provisions that bans slaughtering of cattle and sale of beef in the state.
The suspension of order comes following conflicting orders passed by the Jammu and Kashmir and Srinagar bench of the high court.
The Jammu and Kashmir bench had asked state police to enforce the ban while the Srinagar bench had issued a notice challenging the validity of the provision banning beef.
The Srinagar bench had said that if the state legislature wanted to scrap or amend these provisions, then the pendency of the matter before it will not come in the way of the assembly.
On September 10, the Jammu and Kashmir high court ordered state police on Thursday to ensure strict implementation of a colonial-era law banning the sale of beef after a petitioner argued the slaughter of bovine animals hurt the sentiments of some communities.
The ruling came after several states banned beef trade and cow slaughter, stoking an ever-swirling debate with several right-wing organisations supporting these moves while many minority groups and activists have termed such decisions a blow to personal freedom and India’s secular fabric.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh called for a countrywide prohibition on beef in March. “How can we accept that cows should be slaughtered in this country? We will do our best to put a ban on this, and we will do whatever it takes to build consensus.”
