Selling beef is now illegal in the state of Maharashtra and anybody found selling it could wind up in prison for five years and be fined up to Rs.10,000.
On Monday, President Pranab Mukherjee approved the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment Bill), 1995, that forbids the slaughter of bulls and sale of beef.
Maharashtra had effectively banned the slaughter of cows under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act of 1976.
The 20-year-old bill that has turned into a law has social and religious ramifications.
Maharashtra’s first BJP-Shiv Sena government, which governed the state between 1995 and 1999, passed the law banning dairy animals slaughter in the state in 1996.
However, the President’s office sent back the bill raising a few inquiries.
In 1999 Congress Party came to power and stayed in power till October 2014. This administration didn’t answer to questions raised by the President’s office.
After the BJP government assumed office, the Union home ministry asked the Maharashtra government whether it needed to seek after the bill.
The state government quickly answered and reacted to the inquiries raised by the President.
