New Delhi: Karnataka rural development and panchayat raj minister Priyank Kharge on June 22 urged law enforcement officials to strictly enforce laws pertaining to cow vigilantism and livestock transportation in Kalaburagi district.However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shared just a portion of the minister’s speech and accused him of promoting illegal cow slaughter in the state.While addressing police officials of the district, Kharge said, “All PSIs and DSPs, please listen. People who engage in cow vigilantism, claiming association with various groups, are often unaware of the challenges faced by farmers. If anyone takes the law into their own hands, claiming allegiance to a particular group, they should be apprehended and prosecuted. The law is clear.”According to The News Minute, Priyank also called for an end to unwarranted harassment during the transportation of livestock.He said, “All transportation of livestock, whether within city limits or in rural areas, should not face harassment if they possess the required permissions and documents. There have been instances where individuals falsely claim authority and unlawfully confiscate animals from farmers. I urge you to act in accordance with the law.”The minister attributed the recent rise in harassment during livestock transportation to the previous BJP government, the report added.The Twitter handle of the Karnataka BJP claimed that Kharge promoted illegal cow slaughter and pressured police officials to arrest anyone who opposes it. “Karnatka BJP said: Article 48 of the Indian Constitution clearly prohibits the slaughter of animals, particularly in public spaces. However, @PriyankKharge is abusing his power by not only promoting illegal cow slaughter but also pressuring police officials to arrest anyone who opposes it. The self-proclaimed Constitution expert @siddaramaiah should explain whether this violates Baba Saheb’s Indian Constitution or not. If not, both needs to be educated on the Indian Constitution.”The Wire had reported how the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, enacted in 2021, has many loopholes, which seems to be tilted more towards targeting the Muslim community rather than protecting and preserving cows or cattle.Separately, Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking website Alt News, also shared a tweet clarifying that Kharge did not promote cow slaughter, but rather he asked law enforcement officials to put cow vigilantes behind bars if they are found harassing people who have permission and the documents for possessing livestock.A lot of Right Wing trolls are seen sharing clipped video. Here’s what Priyank Kharge said to Karnataka Police Cow Vigilante goons.“Now Bakrid is coming up.. According to the law, All PSIs and DSPs please listen.. People who do cow vigilantism, saying we are from this dal, that… pic.twitter.com/z3I6jn5a0H— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) June 25, 2023