Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary P. Shanmugam. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam on Thursday (May 28, 2026) urged the State government to file an appeal against the order of the Madras High Court banning the slaughter of cows or calves anywhere in Tamil Nadu “either on the eve of Bakrid (May 28, 2026) or on any other day”.
A summer vacation Bench comprising of Justices G. R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan had directed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police/Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF) to ensure no cow or calf is slaughtered anywhere in Tamil Nadu either on the eve of Bakrid or on any other day.
In a statement issued in Chennai, Mr. Shanmugam said the order, applicable only to cows and calves, was objectionable.
“People have, for generations, offered goats, cows and chickens in propitiation to their deities. Such practices are also intertwined with their dietary habits. The order directing the government to prohibit such slaughter amounts to interference in the food habits and religious practices of a particular section of society,” he contended.
Published – May 28, 2026 08:25 pm IST
