Ahead of Eid al-Adha, Maulana Shafique Qasmi, the Imam of Kolkata’s Nakhoda Masjid, appealed to Muslims not to slaughter cows. "In fact, they should stop eating beef altogether. Let the Central government declare the cow as a protected national animal," Qasmi added. Earlier, the BJP-led West Bengal government banned the slaughter of cattle or buffaloes without a mandatory fitness certificate.