Mumbai, Sept. 21 (PTI): Bombay High Court today refused to stay for Bakri Id the ban on slaughter of bulls and sale of their meat in Maharashtra, saying doing so would amount to halting the statutory provision under which the curbs have been imposed.

"We are not inclined to grant any drastic interim relief at this stage which would amount to a stay on Section 5 of the Maharashtra Preservation of Animals (Amendment) Act," the court said, hearing a batch of pleas seeking relaxation in the ban during the September 25-27 Muslim festival.

The petitioners contented that slaughter of animals, which signifies sacrifice, was an essential part of the community's religious practices.

Justices A.S. Oka and V.L. Achliya asked: "Can an interim relief be granted on the state's statutory powers? If there was power of relaxation under the act, we would have asked the government to consider it. How do we grant relief without staying the statutory provision?".

Ejaz Naqvi, a lawyer for one group of petitioners, said "the government had issued a circular banning the slaughter of animals and sale of mutton and chicken for two days during the Jain festival of Prayushan.... Why can't it (the government) issue a circular relaxing the ban on beef for the Muslim community?"

But the bench said the matter could be dealt with after affidavits were filed by all respondents and posted the matter for final hearing to October 12.

The petitions had sought a directive to the BJP-led government to temporarily suspend the provisions. According to the pleas, the act violates Articles 25 (freedom of religion), 26 (freedom to manage religious affairs) and 29 (protection of interests of minorities) of the Constitution.

Minister to eat beef

A senior minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government today vowed to continue eating beef, betraying deep divisions in ruling PDP-BJP coalition.

The state high court had recently directed the government to enforce a decades-old law banning beef, sparking an uproar and a tussle between the ruling allies.

But sports minister Imran Ansari, also a noted Shia cleric, today said in his individual capacity there was "no question of a ban on beef".

"In our religion, it is allowed and if we get it (beef), we will eat it," the PDP leader said.

His party, which leads the coalition, has not spelt out its stand officially. But ally BJP has been backing the court-sanctioned ban, which was promulgated by the erstwhile Dogra rulers but has remained on the statute.

Under Section 298A of the Ranbir Penal Code, slaughtering a cow, ox or buffalo is a non-bailable offence punishable with up to 10 years in jail and fine. Possession of such meat can bring a year's jail and fine.

A BJP MLA, Ravinder Raina, has submitted an Assembly resolution seeking the death penalty for those involved in cow slaughter.