West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed the Centre’s notification on cattle slaughter as a “deliberate attempt to encroach upon the state’s powers” and affirmed her government would not accept it. Banerjee said that she would approach the court and challenge it.

The Union government had last week banned the sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.

The environment ministry had notified the stringent ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017’ under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

“We will challenge it legally. We will consult the state’s Advocate-General on this matter. I will request the Centre not to interfere with the state’s matter and destroy the federal structure,” she told a press conference at the state secretariat.