The Supreme Court has given big relief to the Tamil Nadu government. The court on Monday (July 13) put an interim stay on the order of the Madras High Court in which the state government was directed to ensure that no cow or calf is killed in the state on Bakrid or any other day.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta gave this order while hearing the Special Leave Petition (SLP) of the Tamil Nadu government. Along with this, the court has issued a notice in the matter and has also sought answers from the concerned parties.
High Court had given order to the state government
In fact, in May 2026, the High Court had ordered the government to ensure a complete ban on the killing/sacrifice of cows and calves in the state on Bakrid or any other day. The High Court had clarified that cow sacrifice is not a mandatory religious practice in Islam.
What did the Supreme Court say
During the hearing, the Supreme Court said that prima facie there appears to be a need for reform in the last part of the decision of the Madras High Court, which had imposed a complete ban on the slaughter of cows and calves in the entire state. On this basis, the court has currently put a stay on the implementation of that part.
Government’s argument
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi presented the stand on behalf of Tamil Nadu government. The government argued that the Madras High Court order is contrary to the state’s Tamil Nadu Animal Protection Act, 1958. Under this law, such cows above 10 years of age, which are not fit for work or reproduction, can be slaughtered on the basis of certificate from the competent authority.
The government also said that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Slaughter House Rules, 2001, Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Act, 1998 and related rules regulate the slaughter of animals, but there is no provision for a complete ban anywhere in them. In such a situation, the High Court has given an order contrary to the statutory provisions.
What was demanded in the petition
The bench of Madras High Court had passed this order on May 27, just before Bakrid. This PIL was filed by K., General Secretary of Hindu Makkal Katchi. It was filed by Surya Prasanth. The only demand made in the petition was that during Bakrid, slaughter of cows should be done only at authorized places and not in public places.
High Court imposed ban in the entire state
However, after the hearing, the High Court ordered a complete ban on slaughter of cow and calf on any day in entire Tamil Nadu.
The High Court had also mentioned a government order in its decision, which said that banning cow slaughter would boost milk production and the rural economy. Also, citing the old decisions of the Supreme Court, the court had said that cow slaughter on Bakrid is not an essential religious practice of Islam.
‘High Court’s decision is contradictory’
At the same time, Tamil Nadu government said in the petition filed in the Supreme Court that the decision of the High Court is contradictory in itself. On the one hand, the court accepted that slaughter of animals should take place only in authorized slaughterhouses, while on the other hand, it imposed a complete ban on the slaughter of cows and calves at any place on any day.
The government also says that the High Court went beyond the relief which was not sought by the petitioner. The police had already told the court that necessary steps have been taken to stop animal slaughter in public places and religious sacrifices will take place only in closed and authorized places.
Now after the interim order of the Supreme Court, the case will be heard further. The statewide complete ban imposed by the Madras High Court will not remain in effect until the final decision is taken.
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