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Ban on cow slaughter will hit foreign earnings: Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AUG. 21. The DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, today reiterated his opposition to the Cow Slaughter Prevention Bill saying it would disturb communal harmony.

In his reply to a set of questions, he said some northeastern States had opposed any ban on cow slaughter. Even the BJP in these States was opposed to such a ban. By making the Bill applicable to all States, other than Jammu and Kashmir, would only complicate the Kashmir problem. Even in Kerala, there was considerable opposition to the Bill.

Also, the passage of this Bill would render jobless about 15 lakh workers in the leather industry. Foreign exchange earnings from leather exports would drop by about Rs.3,150 crores.

Quoting `Tirukkural', he said it was wrong to kill any animal for food. But, it was improper to ban the killing of cows alone.

If the argument against cow slaughter was advanced on the ground that cow was a divine animal, then there must be a similar ban on the killing of boar, fish, and turtle, as the God had taken these `avatars'.

Referring to fixing of an income ceiling for eligibility to purchase commodities through the public distribution system, he said even employees in the lower rung earned more than Rs.5,000 a month. A majority of the people, who were obtaining their essential commodities through the PDS, would not be able to do so now. The poor and the middle class would be adversely affected by the decision, he added.

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