Amid the reports of fake “cow protectors” extorting money in the State, Haryana senior Ministers on Thursday endorsed the proposal of issuing identity cards to genuine gau rakshaks.
Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma and Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said that there is a need to identify genuine cow protectors and issue identity cards to them in the State.
On the issue of cow smuggling and slaughter in Haryana, Anil Vij while talking to the mediapersons said that the State Government is committed towards preservation and care of cows. Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog has also been constituted for the purpose. Not only this, under the leadership of IPS Bharti Arora, a team has been formed for the safety of cows, he said.
Following the assertions made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on fake cow protectors, Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog is cautiously working in this regard so that no anti-social element could take law in his hands in the name of Gau Sewa. The Aayog is considering to issue identity cards of Gausewaks with the help of Gaushalas, said Vij.
last year, Haryana Minister Anil Vij had pitched for declaring cow as the national animal and had also launched an online poll on the issue.
On the other hand, Cabinet Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that there is need to issue identity cards to genuine gau rakshaks in the state. Haryana has implemented strictest law against cow slaughter and smuggling and the State Government is committed to ensure safety of cow, he said. Sharma added that no one would be allowed to take law in his hands in Haryana.
Recently, a video had surfaced in which a Muslim youth was beaten up by three persons in Sohna for allegedly trying to smuggle beef in Mewat. In another video that went viral, gau rakshaks were seen forcibly feeding cow dung to two alleged beef smugglers in Faridabad.
After PM Narendra Modi urged action against criminals donning garb of cow vigilantes, Haryana Government had started the process of police verification of gau rakshak outfits, active in the state.
The Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog is also in the process of launching a 24-hour toll free helpline and set up police control room to receive the complaints regarding cow slaughter and smuggling in the state.
The State Government has set up gau rakshak task force to strictly enforce the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015. The Act which came into force last year provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for cow slaughter. It also provides for a fine from Rs30,000 to Rs1 lakh.