India's Gujarat state OKs life in jail for killing cows

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - Killing a cow in the western Indian state of Gujarat is now punishable with life imprisonment after the State Assembly on Friday amended the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act to make it harsher.

The amended act also brings a jail term of 7 to 10 years for those in possession of beef, in addition to a fine ranging from $1500 to $7500.

"With the suggestion of Hindu saints, we have amended the act. This is the harshest law in the country," Gujarat state's home minister, Pradeepsinh Jadeja said.

The representative of a Muslim organization based in northern Uttar Pradesh state said the move was politically motivated.

"Elections are due this year in Gujarat. They have seen how polarization has helped them in Uttar Pradesh, they just want to repeat that. It has nothing do with religion. They want to fool people," he said, wishing to remain anonymous.

The assembly election in the state is scheduled for November this year.

Gujarat is ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A majority of Hindus in India worship cows, and most Indian states have laws against killing cows.