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Bhopal/Malegaon:
Days after the Madhya Pradesh's amended legislation banning the
cow slaughter received the presidential nod, experts and minority
leaders express fear that the law would be misused against the
minorities, especially the Muslims.
Stating that the provision is not in
contravention with the existing law, but there has to be checks
and balances, former Supreme Court judge Justice Faizanuddin said,
“Minorities will be targeted just the way any anti-terror law is
used to point fingers at Muslims."
“Mere suspicion can’t be a basis for
action, there has to be some material evidence", the Indian
Express quoted the retired judge as saying.
The long-pending Madhya Pradesh Gauvansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan)
Vidheyak 2010 received the Presidential assent on December 22
following which it has become an Act and has been published in the
December 31, 2011 government gazette.
Besides increasing the maximum jail term for offences under the MP
Govansh Vadh Pratishedh Vidhayak to seven years, the new law
allows a head constable or senior police officials, or anyone
authorised by a competent authority “to enter and inspect any
premises within the local limits of his jurisdiction, where he has
reasons to believe that an offence has been, is being or is likely
to be committed and shall take necessary action (search and
seizure).”
Former Congress Home Minister Satyadev Katare, spokesperson of MP Catholic Church Fr Anand Muttungal
and CPM state
general secretary Badal Saroj have also criticized the amended
legislation. Saroj in fact termed it as 'fascist'.
“The state does not have a laboratory that can tell the difference
between cow meat and buffalo meat,” the Indian Express
quoted Saroj, who also alleged that
police officials and bureaucracy are already communal and the new
legislation will give them unbridled powers to target the Muslims.
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