India's Chhattisgarh state may hang those who kill cows

A day after the western Indian state of Gujarat approved life term for killing cows, another state, also ruled by the country's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday toed a harsher line and said it would hang those who slaughter cows.

"Have you heard of cow slaughter here in the past 15 years. If someone does that (kills cow), we will hang him," Chief Minister of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh told the media in capital Raipur when asked about cow slaughter in his state.

As the first in the country, Gujarat, ruled by the BJP, on Friday amended the state's Animal Preservation Act of 1954 to make killing of cows punishable with life in jail and approved a 10-year prison term for anyone found guilty of transporting beef.

Cow is considered as a holy animal by majority Hindus in India. Killing of cows is illegal in many Indian states, but the passing of new amended law means Gujarat now has the toughest law against cow slaughter in the country.

The slaughter and transport of cows was banned in Gujarat in 2011 when the state was ruled by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, now India's Prime Minister.

But over the past few weeks, state Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has often talked about bringing in tougher laws to protect cattle.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to protect Gau (cow), Ganga (holy river of Hindus) and Gita (sacred book of Hindus)," he said earlier.

 Source: Xinhua