NEW DELHI: While pitching for a national cow protection law, the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) supremo Mohan Bhagwat condemned the Alwar incident in which a person was lynched to death for transporting cattle in a van. Stating that such incidents “defame” the cause, Bhagwat argued that there should be a national law to ban cow slaughter across the country.
The RSS chief, while speaking at a function in the national capital, stated that cow slaughter is a vice. He stated that more people should be made aware for the needs to protect cow in the country. His remarks came a week after a person was lynched to death in the BJP ruled Rajasthan, which also rocked both the Houses of Parliament.
While stressing that no violence should be resorted to in the drive for cow protection, the RSS chief also advocated the vigilantes to obey the law of the land. He added that the violence only gives a bad name to the campaign for protection of cow.
Bhagwat noted that the states where the people with the RSS backgrounds have come in power have enacted laws to protect cow. He added that other state government too should enact similar laws.
Incidentally, the BJP has also come in power in the North-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur where consuming beef is part of the popular culinary culture. Apparently aware of the contradictions, Bhagwat stated that the state governments should address the political complexities at the local level while working out cow protection measures.
While mentioning his veterinary doctor background, Bhagwat said that once the utility of cow with the usefulness of its milk, dung and urine becomes more popular more and more people join the cause of protection of the bovine animal.