‘Gau rakshaks must not worry about courts, govt’
RSS CHIEF Bhagwat says nefarious campaign against ‘pious’ group NAGPUR:
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh supremo, Mohan Bhagwat, on Saturday took a strong exception over communalisation of cow protection in the country and claimed that several Muslims are also involved in the activity of cow protection, its promotion and management of cow shelters.
Addressing the RSS swayamsevaks on the occasion of annual Vijaydashami programme here at Reshimbagh, he dismissed the allegations that cow protectors were involved in communal violence and asserted that they were protecting cow within the constitutional framework.
Bhagwat said a “nefarious campaign” was underway against cow protectors and urged people “who are piously involved in the activity” to not “worry or get distracted with the well intentioned statements by highly placed people in the government or remarks made by Courts”.
“The word vigilantism has been misused by people. At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers. For progress of small farmer, rearing of cow is must. Protecting cow and cow based agriculture is directed by Constitution. We must look at the issue of cow protection beyond religion ,” he said and claimed that many Muslims have sacrificed their life for gau raksha — protection of the cow — just like people of Bajrang Dal have.
Praising cow protectors, particularly Bajrang Dal, he said volunteers of the Hindutva group and other organisations were peacefully involved in the campaign, which “is also included in the Directive Principles of our Constitution”.
According to him, cow smuggling had emerged as a serious issue in all states, and especially on the Bangladesh border which makes this campaign “more valuable”. Inquiries into recent incidences of violence and atrocities by the protectors had made it “amply clear that these activities or the activists were not involved in those acts of violence”.
Bhagwat continued, “On the contrary many activists who were peacefully involved in protection of cows were attacked and killed. This issue is neither discussed nor being inquired. It is unfair to link cow protectors or the entire agenda with violent incidences or communal feelings.”