Hindu traders in Indian state slam BJP Eid cattle restrictions

NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — Hindu cattle traders and livestock farmers in India’s eastern state of West Bengal have begun publicly criticizing the newly elected BJP government after a sweeping crackdown on Eid al-Adha cattle trade disrupted local markets and left many sellers facing mounting financial losses.

The controversy erupted after the state government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari intensified enforcement of the decades-old West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act ahead of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important Muslim festivals, during which animal sacrifice is traditionally performed.

Authorities said cattle and buffalo slaughter would only be permitted after official veterinary certification confirming the animals are legally fit for slaughter, while police also moved to restrict slaughter outside designated facilities and crack down on informal cattle markets.

The measures, which the BJP government says merely enforce existing laws and court directives, have triggered growing anger among Hindu traders who depend heavily on seasonal Eid cattle sales for their livelihood.

Videos circulating widely on social media show distressed Hindu cattle sellers accusing the BJP government of destroying long-standing rural trade networks between Hindu livestock farmers and Muslim buyers.

In one viral video, a Hindu trader said he had borrowed nearly 500,000 Indian rupees (about $5,800) to rear cattle for Eid sales but was now unable to find buyers due to fear of police action and tighter restrictions.

“Why is the BJP not allowing us to sell our cows to Muslims?” the trader said. “Muslims never harm us. Why is the BJP stopping us from selling and trading with Muslims? Give us poison then.”

Another Hindu woman criticized the government’s new enforcement drive, saying Muslim customers had stopped visiting cattle markets, leaving Hindu families facing severe economic distress.

She demanded restoration of the earlier system, saying small traders and livestock-rearing households could not survive under the new restrictions.

The backlash highlights how anti-cattle slaughter politics and aggressive policing around Muslim religious practices are increasingly affecting broader rural economies in India, where cattle trading networks often involve both Hindu sellers and Muslim buyers.

In another widely shared incident from Magrahat, a Hindu cattle seller reportedly arrived at a market hoping to sell a cow before Eid, only for local Muslims to refuse the purchase, citing fears over government restrictions and heightened scrutiny.

“You consider the cow your mother, so why have you brought it here to be sold for sacrifice?” One Muslim man was heard telling the trader in a video circulating online.

Others warned that continued restrictions could financially devastate small dairy-linked households that rely on annual Eid demand to offset rising feeding and maintenance costs.

The BJP government has defended the crackdown, saying authorities are only implementing provisions of the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, as well as a 2018 Calcutta High Court directive requiring veterinary certification before slaughter.

However, civil rights advocates and opposition voices have increasingly argued that cattle-related restrictions in BJP-ruled states disproportionately target Muslims and create a climate of fear around Eid al-Adha, cattle transport and livestock trade.

The issue has also exposed tensions between Hindutva-driven cow protection politics and economic realities in rural India, where cattle markets have historically functioned through deep commercial interdependence between Hindu and Muslim communities.