The British Veterinary Association is “negligent, obsessed and politically driven” in its campaign against religious slaughter, according to a group which works to protect kosher meat production.

Shechita UK said the BVA was guilty of “hypocrisy” in its efforts to highlight animal welfare.

Politicians will debate the future of kosher and halal practices in a Westminster Hall debate in Parliament this afternoon.

The session was scheduled after a BVA-backed petition calling for a ban on non-stun slaughter generated 100,000 signatures in nine months.

Shechita UK director Shimon Cohen pointed out that a similar petition, in favour of religious slaughter, had attracted 50,000 signatures in a week.

Mr Cohen said: “There have been two comprehensive and balanced debates on religious slaughter in little over a year, for animal welfare groups to push for a third is wild-eyed and obsessive.

“The sheer volume of campaigning the BVA and others have put into this e-petition highlights the complete hypocrisy in animal welfare campaigning today.

“Two weeks ago, a horrific film of extraordinary disregard for animal welfare at a non-mechanically stunned abattoir in Yorkshire came to light. Animal welfare campaigners called for an end of religious slaughter.

“Four days later, a similar video was released at a conventional slaughter house and I didn’t hear one call to end conventional slaughter.

“The BVA are currently being negligent in their duty to protect animals. If there is a genuine interest in improving animal welfare standards at time of slaughter, we need to look at many areas like abattoir practices, CCTV and mis-stunning.

“This fixation with religious slaughter beggars belief.”

In an interview with the Times last year, BVA president John Blackwell called for religious slaughter to be banned if Jews and Muslims did not adopt a different method.