Do The Prime, Do The Time: India Legislators Move To Criminalize Beef Possession

Picture this scene out of Midnight Express, police surrounding a nervous man late at night on an airport tarmac. Pulling away his shirt, they find taped to his body . . . steaks. A beef mule. That could be the scene in Karnataka, India where the government is about to make the possession of beef a criminal offense. Presumably, possession of beef with intent to distribute will receive a higher sentence.

The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2010, if enacted, will not only ban the slaughter of cattle, including “a cow, calf, bull, bullock, buffalo” but also criminalize beef possession. Defense counsel will be warning clients that they will go from the Porterhouse to the Big House if they fail to comply.

The debate was reportedly quite lively with Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa discussing the proven medicinal benefits of cow urine. Another predicted that, unless cows were given the added protection, the province could face a milk deficit and called on his colleagues to pass the bill for the children. (It appears that children in other countries like the United States are milk deprived).

While I understand the Hindu objections to eating beef, they may be playing with fire:

Source: Tehelka