Amid the politics on cow slaughter, Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday asked the Centre to declare cow as the national animal.
While talking to the mediapersons, the Minister said that he would send a request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.
Early this morning, Vij, the outspoken five-time MlA from Ambala Cantt, tweeted, "Declare Cow as National Animal of India instead of Royal Bengal tiger".
The Minister's tweet has come bang in the middle of a raging controversy over cow slaughter, beef ban in various States and the killing of a Muslim man in Dadri area of Western Uttar Pradesh last week over allegations that he had eaten beef.
Vij also said that cow is the most pious animal in Indian culture and is worshipped in most of the parts of the country.
Anil Vij is a senior Minister in the first Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana, which came to power in October last year after assembly polls.
In March this year, the BJP government had announced a complete ban on sale of beef in any form in the state. The decision had upset many people living in Gurgaon, adjoining the national capital, especially a large number of foreign nationals living in the industrial hub, as beef eating has become illegal in the state.
For the "protection and upkeep" of cows, Haryana Assembly had passed a Bill which clamps a complete ban on cow slaughter in the state and provides for a rigorous imprisonment ranging from three years to ten years for killing the animal. Haryana 'Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan' Bill, 2015, which also provides for a fine from Rs 30,000 to Rs one lakh, was passed by the Assembly on March 16
Vij is the most active of all Haryana ministers and quite popular with his action-oriented style of functioning and speaking out openly what is on his mind.
In a tweet last week, Vij, whose Health Department is grappling with rising dengue cases in the state, had said: "Excuse me friends, please don't invite me for public functions. I want to devote my maximum time for the improvement of my departments."
Since BJP came to power in the state, the Minister's surprise visits at government hospitals and clinics in recent months have put the Health Department on its toes. He has "raided" other offices, including police stations, too.
The Minister is well-known for his no-holds barred comments on the Twitter and otherwise, including on his own government and colleagues.
In the last few months, he has even left his own government and Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar embarrassed with his comments.
A veteran and well-known BJP leader who represents the Ambala assembly constituency, Vij was one of the top contenders for the Chief Minister's post in October last year when the BJP came to power on its own in Haryana for the first time.