Rajasthan High Court urges Centre to make cow India’s national animal

Even as stories related to cow slaughter continue to dominate the news, the Jaipur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court today urged the Centre to christen the Cow as India’s national animal..The suggestions were made by Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma in a petition filed in 2010 seeking protection of cows kept in the state’s Hingonia Goshala and other cattle shelters..The 193-page judgment penned in Hindi also urges that the cow be given the status of a legal person and directs the state government and the state’s Advocate General to be persons in loco parentis of the animal. In order to achieve this, the Court has asked the state government to connect with the concerned departments of the central government..The Court also went on to say that any person or NGO was free to file a petition seeking directions to make the Cow India’s national animal. Further, the Court has suggested that the punishment for cow slaughter be increased to life imprisonment..Moreover, the Court asked the state government to take note of the corruption at Hingonia Goshala, as a result of which the welfare of the cows suffered..Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma retires tomorrow June 1, 2017..News18 spoke to Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma. Here is what he said..Yesterday, the Madras High Court had stayed the Centre’s notification prohibiting sale of cattle for slaughter..Story to be updated..Read the judgment: