Gujarat: Congress leaders in attendance, Shankaracharya raises demand to declare cow as ‘Rashtramata’

Present at the event, Congress’s Banaskantha MP Geniben Patel said, “I will fully support the move to declare the cow as the mother of the nation."

During her Lok Sabha election campaign, Congress’s Banaskantha MP Geniben Patel had promised that if voted to power, the Congress will ban cow slaughter. (Express Archives)

The premises of Sola Bhagwat Vidyapith in Ahmedabad was buzzing with leaders of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Wednesday as Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath Peeth in Uttarakhand, arrived as part of his “Gau Mata Rashtramata Abhiyan”.

Present at the event, Congress’s Banaskantha MP Geniben Patel said, “I will fully support the move to declare the cow as the mother of the nation.” During her Lok Sabha election campaign, Patel had promised that if voted to power, the Congress will ban cow slaughter.

The Shankaracharya stressed that the cow is a symbol of God. He said he is touring the country as part of Gau-Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra to press for a dedicated flag for cows and implementation of a national cow protection law.

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“I feel sad to see cow deaths and consumption of beef. Those demanding a check on this have been asked to keep their mouths shut. But in matters of the heart, how long should we remain silent?” he asked as he raised the demand to elevate the status of cows as ‘Rashtramata’.

Congress leaders including Chanasama MLA Dinesh Thakor; President of Ahmedabad City Congress Himmatsinh Patel; former MLAs Raghu Desai, Baldevji Thakor and Indranil Rajguru; and Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee Vice President Jitubhai Patel were present.

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