Meghalaya Chief Minister wrote about the trade of cattle to Tripura

Shillong, June 3: The Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma urged his Tripura Opposition Manik Sarkar to unite on the new law and livestock slaughter. Sangma, in his letter on Friday night, said the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, is an infringement of a state's rights to regulate items on List-II of the State List which include cattle market. "The Centre should have treaded carefully after due consultations with state governments before proposing changes in the regulation of livestock markets." 
Sangma also termed the move as "a complete infringement of the states' domain which needed to be collectively and strongly resisted". 

"The state governments must assert collectively to dissuade the Union Government from such actions which directly dilute the federal structure of our great nation. This notification will set a very wrong precedence in negating the spirit of the federal structure," the Congress leader added in the letter. He also called for the promotion of "cooperative federalism" in true spirit. Meghalaya's opposition National People's Party (NPP) had also differed with its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the move and demanded its withdrawal. Meanwhile, Conrad K. Sangma, the lone NPP member in the Lok Sabha, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and direct the Environment Ministry to de-notify the new rules in the larger interest of the people.

Conrad, in an open letter to Modi, said the new law imposes a number of restrictions on cattle trade that would have serious impact on the socio-cultural and economic milieu of millions, especially those in the agricultural and related industrial sectors. The new rules violate the fundamental right of the person to the freedom to choose his food. The rules of animal cruelty (livestock control) rules were announced on May 23, 2017, to the Ministry of Environment and Forests. It prohibited the sale of cattle to kill animal markets across the country.