Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked all Chief Ministers to tackle the “fake gau rakshaks” or self-styled cow protectors with an iron hand. These fakes have become a threat to the national unity and integrity, and they should not be spared, the Prime Minister said while speaking at a public meeting in Gajwel.
The Prime Minister reiterated his view expressed a day ago in Delhi that these men were essentially anti-social elements bent upon dividing society and disturbing its peace. “States have to remain vigilant against their actions,” he said, adding, “My appeal to everyone is beware of these handful of vigilantes who have nothing to do with cow protection. they want to create ‘tanaav’ (tension) in society. I want the real cow protectors to expose them and the states should take action against them,” Mr Modi said.
Cattle is national asset: Modi
He said the cattle population is a national asset. He lauded the Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat’s campaign for protecting abandoned cows and handing them over to farmers for using them in agricultural activities. “Cow will never be a burden. Cow’s urine and dung are used extensively in agriculture. Cow’s importance is linked to the country’s economic development,” Mr Modi said.
Stressing that India is a land of diversity, he said, “Protecting our country’s unity and integrity is our primary responsibility. To fulfil it, all our countrymen should protect cows. Such service adds to national wealth and it does not create any problem for the nation. Fake gau rakshaks, on the other hand, destroy society, its peace, and the country. Beware of these people. There is a need to punish them. Then alone can we take the nation to great heights,” the Prime Minister said.
Mr Modi’s comments assume significance in the backdrop of the incidents of violence against Dalits and Muslims by cow vigilantes in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in recent times, leading to mass protests.
