Beef Ban Laws: How Rules Vary Across States | Explained

New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, announced a ban on serving and consuming beef in restaurants, hotels, and public places across the state. "Assam govt has decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels and public places", he said.

“In Assam, we have decided that beef will not be served in any restaurant or hotel and also it will not be served in any public function or public place, so from today we have completely decided to stop the consumption of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places. Earlier our decision was to stop eating beef near temples but now we have expanded it to the entire state that you will not be able to eat it in any community place, public place, hotel or restaurant", Himanta said in a press conference. 

After the announcement was made, Assam minister Pijush Hazarika retweeted the Chief Minister's statement and issued a sharp challenge to the opposition Congress. “I challenge Assam Congress to welcome the beef ban or go and settle in Pakistan,” he tweeted on X.

However, Assam is no the first state to put a ban on beef, there are many other states who banned the beef consumption in public places.

Let us know more | Rules on beef ban state wise

Assam

The ban is on serving and consuming beef in restaurants, hotels, and public places across the state. Guidelines and regulations is yet to be announced by the government.

Chhattisgarh 

The slaughter of cows, buffaloes, bulls, bullocks, and calves, as well as the possession of their meat, is prohibited. Transporting or exporting these animals for slaughter to other states is also banned. Violating this law can result in a punishment of up to 7 years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

Rajasthan 

The slaughter of cows, calves, heifers, bulls, and bullocks is prohibited, along with the possession and transportation of their meat. Violations of this law can result in up to 10 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rs 10,000.

Andhra Pradesh

Offenders may be sentenced to six months in jail and/or a fine of Rs 1,000.

Telangana

As same as Andhra Pradesh.

Bihar

The slaughter of cows and calves is prohibited, while slaughter of bulls and bullocks older than 15 years is permitted. Violators may face up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine of Rs 1,000.

Delhi

The slaughter of "agricultural cattle" including cows, calves, bulls, and bullocks and the possession of their meat, even if killed outside Delhi, is banned. However, buffalo meat (carabeef) is permitted.

Haryana

As per a 2015 law, the killing of "cow," which includes bulls, bullocks, oxen, heifers, calves, and disabled, diseased, or barren cows, is prohibited. Violators face 3 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh. The law also bans the sale of canned beef and beef products, as well as the export of cows for slaughter.

Uttar Pradesh

The slaughter of cows, bullocks, and oxen is banned, and storing or consuming beef is prohibited. Offenders face up to 7 years in jail and/or a fine of Rs 10,000. Beef can be imported in sealed containers for consumption by foreigners. Buffaloes, however, can be slaughtered.

Gujarat

The slaughter of cows, calves, bulls, and bullocks, along with the transport and sale of their meat, is prohibited. Offenders may face a fine of up to Rs 50,000 and imprisonment for up to 7 years. However, buffalo meat (carabeef) is permitted.

Jammu & Kashmir

The slaughter of cows and their offspring is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Possessing the flesh of any of these slaughtered animals is punishable by up to one year in jail. The killing of a buffalo is punishable by a fine five times the animal's value.

Karnataka

In January 2021, Karnataka introduced a strict anti-cattle slaughter law, making the transportation, slaughter, and trade of all cattle (cows, bulls, and oxen) illegal within the state. However, the law did not impose a complete ban on beef in all its forms.

Maharashtra

Since March 2015, the slaughter and consumption of meat from cows, bulls, and bullocks have been banned following a revision of the existing law. Violators can face up to 5 years in jail and/or a fine of Rs 10,000. However, the slaughter of buffaloes is permitted.

Odisha 

Cow slaughter is punishable by up to 2 years in jail and a fine of Rs 1,000. However, old bulls and bullocks can be slaughtered with a fit-for-slaughter certificate, and cows can be killed if they suffer from a contagious disease.

Madhya Pradesh

The slaughter of cows and their progeny is banned, with the penalty increased to up to 7 years in jail in 2012, placing the burden of proof on the accused. However, buffaloes can still be slaughtered.

Tamil Nadu

The slaughter of cows and calves is banned, with penalties of up to 3 years in jail and/or a fine of Rs 1,000. However, the consumption of beef and the slaughter of economically worthless animals is permitted.

Punjab

"Beef" does not include imported beef, while "cow" encompasses bulls, bullocks, oxen, heifers, and calves. Slaughter is permitted for export, provided the government grants approval.

Cow slaughter is not illegal in Kerala, West Bengal, and several North-eastern states including Arunachal Pradesh , Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim.

Previously, consuming beef was not illegal in Assam. However, the Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021 prohibited cattle slaughter and the sale of beef in areas predominantly populated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, as well as within a five-kilometer radius of temples or satras (Vaishnavite monasteries). This restriction has now been extended to other public areas.

The decision comes after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hinted at such measures during a media interaction last Sunday. Sarma had stated he was open to banning beef consumption entirely in Assam if the Congress submitted a formal request. His remarks were in response to allegations by Congress leaders, including Rakibul Hussain, who accused the BJP of distributing beef to gain votes in the recent bypolls held in the Muslim-majority Samaguri constituency.