article_snippet.sent: Since the country treats cows as sacred and there is a blanket ban on slaughtering the animal, the development has the potential to trigger diplomatic acrimony between the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member countries.
article_snippet.sent: According to Hindu belief, eating beef is a religious offence since eating beef is a sacred animal and treated on a par with one’s mother.
article_snippet.sent: In Nepal — for long the world’s only Hindu state — the first royal order officially prohibiting cow slaughter stated that the punishments for the crime were death and confiscation of all property of the offender.
article_snippet.sent: This kingdom is the only kingdom in the world where cows, women, and Brahmins may not be killed.
article_snippet.sent: But an amendment in 1990 to the Civil Code made cow slaughter punishable by 12 years in prison.
highlights_snippet.sent: Cows are treated as sacred in Nepal, where the majority are Hindus .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: Killing a cow used to be punishable by death, but now carries a 12-year jail term .
  