Bengaluru/UNI: The Karnataka BJP has threatened to stage statewide agitation if the Congress government lifts the ban on cow slaughter law in the state.

"Cow and Oxen are friends of our farmers, if farming has to sustain in India, Cows, Ox and Bulls have to survive.

"Now the government is contemplating to rollback anti-cow law, we oppose this and if this is lifted, we will launch state-wide agitation," BJP MLC N Ravkumar told reporters here.

The BJP leader was reacting to Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister K Venkatesh's intentions to uplift the ban on cow slaughter by making a controversial statement that if buffaloes and bulls can be slaughtered, why not cows. He sought a relook at anti-cow slaughter legislation on June 3.

The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act that was brought into force by the BJP government in 2021. The Congress, then, had opposed this law.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said it was Mahatma Gandhi who was the first to advocate a ban on cow slaughter, and if it is allowed in Karnataka it will lead to large scale smuggling of cows and mass slaughtering factories in the state.

Meanwhile in Vijayapura, the BJP workers staged a protest against Congress government for its intentions to repeal cow slaughter law in front of Siddeshwara Temple.

The BJP workers also protested against electricity price hike and fake 5 Guarantees ordered by the government. They demanded immediate lifting of electricity price rise.