Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vasudev Devnani has condemned remarks made by Rajasthan minister Shanti Kumar Dhariwal calling cow an “animal”, claiming that it has hurt the people’s sentiments. He observed that cow is revered as a mother to the people and Dhariwal’s statement has pained them. Devnani, also a lawmaker, pointed out that Dhariwal’s comment that “cow is just an animal” hurts people’s sentiments and is condemnable. “The cow is worshipped as a mother,” he said further.

On Monday, speaking in the state Assembly, the minister had pointed out that cow is “highly useful animal” however there was no point in worshipping it. “Cow is a highly useful animal but it does not make any sense in worshipping it. Superwomen, not animals are worshipped,” Dhariwal said while quoting an excerpt from a book written by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The minister had also opined that nationalism cannot be imagined without Muslims who have a huge population in the country.

Earlier in June, the Rajasthan Police filed a charge sheet against Pehlu Khan for cow smuggling. He was lynched in 2017 by a mob of “gau rakshaks” in Alwar for transporting cattle, and his two sons. The police chargesheeted his sons Irsad (25) and Arif (22) under sections 5, 8 and 9 while framing charges against the deceased under section 6 of the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Act, 1995.

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The Congress government led by CM Ashok Gehlot replaced the Vasundhara Raje government of the BJP in the state elections held in December last year. In February this year, the state government announced amendments to the Bovine Animal Act to provide for seizure of vehicles used in the illegal transport of animals and the arrest of culprits. The amendments were introduced by the Raje government but the Centre suggested that the fresh government should get an opportunity to review it.

In June this year, President Ram Nath Kovind gave “previous sanction” to the Ashok Gehlot government for the introduction of Rajasthan Bovine Animals (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export) Bill. The bill provides for the exclusion of buffaloes from the list of bovines in line with the central law.