Indore

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said that permission to export beef will not be given at any cost, reminding that a tough law against cow slaughter has been enacted in the state.

“Our government has decided to increase milk, vegetable, fruit and foodgrain produce to promote vegetarianism, but permission to export beef from Madhya Pradesh won’t be given at any cost,” Chouhan said at a gathering of spiritual leaders of Shwetambar Jains here.

He said that people sent proposals to his government to open modern abattoirs in Madhya Pradesh but these have been “booted out”.

“Permission to open modern abattoirs won’t be granted as long our government is in power in Madhya Pradesh,” Chouhan said.

He recalled that it was the BJP-led government led by Sunderlal Patwa which had enacted a law banning cow slaughter in Madhya Pradesh in 1992.

Later on, this law was given more teeth to ban slaughter of cows and their progeny.

“We have strengthened cow slaughter prohibition law so much so that the punishment for killing a cow under it is akin to murdering a human being,” he said.

Besides, Chouhan said that trading in beef, its transport and its consumption invites stringent punishment in Madhya Pradesh.

PTI