Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati demands law giving capital punishment for cow slaughter

Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-NDA government, which promised to protect cows, was encouraging cow slaughtering and slaughterhouses

Hyderabad: Jyotirmath Peetham Shankaracharya, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has demanded removal of cows from the list of animals since it is considered as a deity and enactment of a law giving capital punishment for slaughtering cows in the country.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said cows must be placed in the sacred list. “Cow is not an animal for us but a Mata (deity). On the lines of Nepal, India should bring in law giving capital punishment for cow slaughter,” he said.

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The seer, who was in Hyderabad as part of his ‘Gau Dhwaj Sthapna Bharat Yatra’, said India has become the second largest exporter of beef in the world.

“This happened under the Hindu government,” he remarked.

Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led-NDA government, which promised to protect cows, was encouraging cow slaughtering and slaughterhouses.

He also alleged that funds were being taken from slaughtering companies. Pointing at PM, he said it was astonishing to see how a person who talked against cow slaughter has become like this.

“Since ancient times, cows have been the highest priority for Hindus. However, it was sad to note cows, which have been a symbol of this country and the Sengol with cow inscribed on it, that the Prime Minister carried into the new Parliament building, are being killed, cut and sold,” he said.

The seer demanded that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) immediately set up gaushala and prepare its own ghee instead of procuring it. If not, the people will protest.

On Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s proposal of setting up Sanatan Dharm Protection Board, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said if board has to be set up it should be done by Dharmacharyas (religious leaders) and not by the government.