Legal Hurdles in Declaring Cow as National Animal

As prominent Muslim organisations push for cows to be declared as a national animal, legal experts like former law secretary P K Malhotra suggest that such a move would be largely symbolic and require new legislative measures. The Indian government, however, has no plans to enact such a law.

Amid demands by prominent Muslim organisations to give the cow the status of a 'national animal', a legal expert said on Tuesday that such a move would require framing of a law in line with the Wild Life (Protection) Act which accords a similar status to the Royal Bengal Tiger with provisions of stringent punishment for those found guilty of hunting or killing them.

Former Union law secretary P K Malhotra, however, cautioned that before framing such a law, the cause and effect will have to be thought out. He said such a law will not have a 'productive value' and will be 'symbolic' in nature.

However, the Centre has no plans to enact any law declaring cows as the national animal, Union Minister S P Singh Baghel told Parliament.