RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday advocated a nation-wide law against cow slaughter, calling it a "vice" that must be removed, but condemned violence by cow protection groups as it "defames" the cause
Mohan Bhagwat
New Delhi: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat yesterday advocated a nation-wide law against cow slaughter, calling it a "vice" that must be removed, but condemned violence by cow protection groups as it "defames" the cause.
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He also pitched for stepping-up of cow protection efforts by bringing more people in the drive while "completely obeying the law and the Constitution".
His remarks at an event to observe the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir came against the backdrop of the lynching of a Muslim man by cow vigilantes in Alwar in BJP-ruled Rajasthan that sparked protests from opposition parties and put the saffron party on the defensive.
"Nothing should be done while protecting cows that hurts the belief of some people. Nothing should be done that is violent. It only defames the efforts of cow protectors... The work of cow conservation should be carried out while completely obeying the law and the Constitution," Bhagwat said. "Our wish is that there should be a law against cow slaughter across India," he said. In several northeastern states, including some where BJP is in power, cow slaughter is not banned while beef is consumed widely in states like Kerala and West Bengal where the party is working to emerge as a strong political force.
The RSS chief suggested that enactment of such a law everywhere will take time due to the complexities of politics. If there is a law, it will be for promoting non-violence not violence, he said, noting, "There cannot be a law that says you do violence. It is impossible."
"I am confident that wherever RSS workers are in power, they will deal with local complexities and work in that direction," he said.
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