Maneka Gandhi says ‘ISKCON biggest cheat, they sell cows to butchers', temple authority reacts
BJP MP and former minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday called the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) the “biggest cheat” in the country. The video of her remarks have gone viral.
Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, alleged that the ISKCON sells cows from their gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers.
Recalling her visit to ISKCON’s cowshed in Anantapur city of Andhra Pradesh, Gandhi in the video is heard saying that she couldn't find any cow that doesn't give milk or calves.
“The biggest cheat in India today is ISKCON. They establish gaushalas for which they get unlimited benefits from the government to run them. They get huge land...everything. I just visited their Anantput Gaushala. Not a single dry cow (one that has not been milked) is present. All are dairies. There is not a single calf. It means all of them were sold. ISCKON is selling all its cows to the butcher."
She further says, “No one else does this as much as they do. And they go on and sing ‘Hare Ram Hare Krishna’ on the roads and say their entire life is dependent on milk. Probably, no one has sold as many cattle to the butchers as they did. If these people can do it, what about others?”
The ISKCON, associated with the Hare Krishna movement, has hundreds of temples and millions of devotees around the world.
The organisation's national spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das dismissed the allegations.
“ISKCON has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally. The cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged," Das wrote on X.
He also shared a letter from a veterinary doctor about the Anantapur cowshed as well as assessment statements of the local MP and MLA. Das claimed that none of the workers at the Anantapur cowshed could recall Gandhi visiting the place.
Das also shared CCTV footage of 24 September of the Anantapur goshala with the non-milking cows.
Responding to a question on what they do with their non-dairy cows, Das on X said, "Depending on the place, some have mechanisms & volunteers to help make the gobar into manure, others into panchagavya items like dhoop, diya, jivamrut, cakes for havan, etc. Where it is feasible some also have biogas plants."
Coordinator of INC Overseas Vijay Thottathil shared Maneka Gandhi's video on X saying, “This is big as these allegations are made by a former central minister of BJP, none other than Maneka Gandhi!”
“Where is the Cow vigilantes? Are they not keeping an eye on these activities of ISKCON? Will the government probe these allegations?” he questioned.