Kerala Congress, Zoho’s Vembu spar over Padma Shri to IIT Madras director V Kamakoti

But the Kerala Congress doubled down: “Research is not about quoting random Western research papers out of context. What is the outcome of all this research on cow dung and urine? And why are we limited only to cow dung? What about the excreta of buffaloes, goats, or even humans?. Recently, the outcome of one such cow dung research project came out in public. The Madhya Pradesh government funded a research project using Panchagavya, a traditional mixture made from cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd, and ghee, for the treatment of cancer.”

It added, “An investigation by Additional Collector Raghuvar Maravi exposed that a whopping ₹1.92 Cr was spent on buying cow dung and urine for the research, whereas the actual cost is around ₹15–20 lakhs. The total allocation for the project was ₹3.5 Cr, and the remaining money was spent on buying cars, filling petrol and diesel, and even Goa and Bangalore trips. What is the outcome of the research? NULL Exception!”

As reported by The Indian Express, a Madhya Pradesh government-funded research initiative, which hoped to develop cancer treatment using traditional cow-based preparations, became embroiled in controversy this month after allegations emerged of financial irregularities and questionable spending patterns spanning nearly a decade.

The project, launched in 2011 at Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur, centred on Panchagavya – a traditional preparation combining cow dung, cow urine, and dairy products – as a potential treatment for serious illnesses, including cancer. While university officials initially proposed funding of approximately Rs 8 crore, the state government sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore for the research endeavour.

No stranger to controversy

The Kerala Congress’s social media wing courted controversy during the recent Bihar assembly elections, too, with its post that read: “Bidis and Bihar start with B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.” Accompanying the message was a graphic comparing the existing and proposed GST rates, showing taxes on bidis reduced from 28% to 18%, while taxes on cigarettes increased from 28% to 40%.

While it was aimed at criticising the Centre’s GST policy on tobacco products, its language was termed offensive and unacceptable by several political leaders. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, a key Congress ally and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, had called for an apology.

In 2024, the handle took a dig at PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with Pope Francis, posting a photo of the meeting with the comment, “Finally the Pope got a chance to meet God.” After the post stirred up a political furore, it was deleted, and an apology followed.