Reiterating the ruling saffron’s commitment to conservation of cow and its progeny, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that his Government would set up a cow progeny protection board in the State. Speaking at a function organised by the Swami Narayan Temple to felicitate him on his Government’s decision to ban slaughter of cow, Fadnavis said the conservation of cow and its progeny was as important as Science, Constitution of India and religion.
Exhorting the people not to look at the prevention of cow slaughter merely as a ban on consumption of beef, the Chief Minister said, “Don’t look at prevention of cow slaughter just as beef ban. Cow is a live animal and has emotions. One can’t see cow in an insensitive manner like just beef. Cow and its progeny is important in terms of milk, urine and cow dung. I don’t look at prevention of cow slaughter from a religious point of view, but scientifically... which has got approval of the Constitution of India”.
Fadnavis said that apart from setting up a cow progeny protection board, the state government would start “goshalas” to take care of cows which at one stage stop producing milk, the old cows and their progeny. Meanwhile, the organisers of the event came in for a flak from various quarters, after a woman reporter who was seated in the front row allocated for media personnel was asked to move behind. “A Jain monk was to pass through the sitting area on his way to the stage so the followers requested the lady to move aside,” one of the organisers said.
The media persons present at the function lodged a protest with the organisers. “This is not a religious programme. If women are not allowed, then the organisers should have told our offices not to send women reporters,” a lady journalist said. Disapproving the incident, Fadnavis said, “This is 21st century and men and women have to work together for a progressive society. Everyone has to do a rethink on prevailing customs and traditions which are against this idea”.