Indian State Bans Consumption of Beef

In a bill approved today by Indian president, Pranab Mukherjee, the slaughter, sale, consumption, and possession of beef is now banned in the state of Maharashtra. Offenders can receive a prison sentence of up to five years in India’s second largest state, where 20 million people alone live in the capital city of Mumbai (formally Bombay). In India, cows are considered sacred in the Hindu religion, but the beef industry is typically run by Muslims. According to President Mukherjee, “Our dream of a ban on cow slaughter becomes a reality now.” Maharashtra is one of the wealthiest and most developed states in India.