Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has sought Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s intervention to mitigate the “unease and confusion” triggered by the West Bengal government’s recently issued animal slaughter guidelines.
Chowdhury wrote a letter to the newly elected Chief Minister on Sunday, a copy of which has been accessed by The Indian Express.
“Dear Shri Suvendu Babu, I am writing with the intention of bringing to your notice the fact that the Public Notice dated 13th May, 2026, issued by the Government of West Bengal regarding adherence to the ‘Animal Slaughter Guidelines’ has been causing confusion and also unrest, that needs to be addressed,” the letter by the former Lok Sabha MP from Baharampur stated.
Chowdhury noted that West Bengal, like any other region in the country, is home to multifarious groups and communities following diverse cultural and religious traditions. Highlighting districts like Murshidabad, where Muslims constitute the majority of the population, he wrote that the sudden notice had caused “consternation in the community”.
To ensure communities can practice their socio-religious customs without misgivings, Chowdhury suggested a localized administrative approach.
“I would suggest that in places like Murshidabad in particular, the District Administration may undertake measures to identify and demarcate specific locations where people could practice the customs associated with the religious faith they profess,” the letter read.
He argued that earmarking such specific spots solely for customary practices would provide an ideal solution to ease the current anxiety, particularly among the minority community.
The public notice issued by the state government on May 13 introduced strict regulations under the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act. Under the new rules, animal slaughter, specifically including bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves, and castrated buffaloes, is strictly prohibited unless a fitness certificate is obtained.
According to the order, a joint fitness certificate must be issued by the chairman of a municipality or the sabhapati of a panchayat samiti, alongside a government veterinary surgeon.
Furthermore, the guidelines state that certified animals may be slaughtered only in a municipal slaughterhouse or a facility designated by the local administration. Slaughtering animals in public places has been strictly prohibited.
The state government has warned of strict legal action against violators, declaring all infractions under the Act as cognizable offenses.
“Whoever contravenes any of the above provisions of law shall be punishable with imprisonment for a period up to six months, or with a fine up to Rs 1,000, or both,” the notice stated.