Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today strongly opposed the Centre’s ban on sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets at a special session of the Kerala Assembly convened to discuss the issue.

In a resolution moved at the special session, Vijayan said the ban had affected Kerala very badly and about five lakh people would be rendered jobless.

About 15 lakh cattle were brought to Kerala every year from others states and due to the ban, their movement was being affected, he said.

In Kerala about 2.5 lakh tonne meat, worth Rs 6,552 crore is sold annually. Meat export was a source of income to those engaged in the sector and this has also been hit, he said.

The state feels that cattle slaughter was not a subject which came under the purview of Parliament to frame regulations, Vijayan said.

On May 29, Vijayan had written to his counterparts in other states asking them to “stand together” and “oppose” the ban on sale of cattle for slaughter and urge the prime minister to withdraw the new regulations.

“Unless we stand together and oppose this anti—federal, anti—democratic and anti—secular move, it may mark the beginning of a series of similar measures aimed at destroying the federal democratic fabric and secular culture of our country,” he had said in the letter.

“The new notification was an attempt to encroach into a subject upon which Parliament has no right to frame laws and the state assemblies have constitutional powers,” he had said.

Vijayan had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the ban and urging him to withdraw the new regulations.

Beef fests were held in various parts of the state last month to protest against the ban with some youth Congress activists in Kannur publicly slaughtering a calf to register their protest.

Vijayan also decided to call a meeting of all chief ministers soon after he wrote to them against the Centre’s notification.

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