Kolkata : West Bengal’s newly elected BJP MLA Rekha Patra has triggered a political controversy after she was seen intercepting a vehicle carrying cattle in Hingalganj and allegedly suggesting that those transporting cows should produce a birth certificate. The remarks were later shared by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who criticised the BJP legislator, writing, “Newly elected BJP MLA in Bengal insists on birth certificates for bovines to prove they are of age.
The order states, No person shall slaughter any animal thereby meaning (bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes) unless he has obtained in respect thereof a certificate that the animal is fit for slaughter. The government has also cited the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, warning that violations could lead to up to six months’ imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000, or both.
Newly elected BJP MLA in Bengal insists on birth certificates for bovines to prove they are of age. Parivartan. pic.twitter.com/D058fjsf4G
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) May 17, 2026
The order states, “No person shall slaughter any animal thereby meaning (bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes) unless he has obtained in respect thereof a certificate that the animal is fit for slaughter.” It further specifies that certification must be jointly issued by municipal or panchayat authorities along with a government veterinary surgeon, based on the animal’s age, health, and fitness. Appeals against refusal of certificates can be filed within a fortnight.
“We request the honourable legislator to bring once such birth certificate issued for a cow from any double-engine state. It would be helpful for references. If the BJP manages to show such a birth certificate of a cow, we need to check who has authorised those certificates,” said Trinamool MLA Kunal Ghosh.
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