Rajasthan Congess, BJP spar over ban on calling cows 'strays'
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Rajasthan government has issued an order discouraging the use of the term "stray" for cows, calling it "insulting" and "inappropriate." The order states that bovine animals roaming freely should be called "destitute" or "helpless." The decision has been criticized by the Congress party, which accused the ruling BJP of neglecting its duty to care for cows.
Congress criticizes BJP over cow welfare
"The BJP has been indulging in politics over cows. The fact that it wants cows to be termed 'helpless' or 'destitute' means that it has not performed its duty," former Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyavas of the Congress party told India Today. The government order emphasized the cultural importance of bovine animals and noted their destitute state on roads for several reasons.
BJP defends cow welfare measures amid criticism
Defending the BJP's actions,Rajasthan minister Joraram Kumawat claimed that several steps have been taken for cow welfare. This includes the setting up of the Chief Minister's Animal Husbandry Development Fund with a provision of ₹250 crore exclusively for this. Meanwhile, 31 Rajasthan MLAs have written to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, demanding cows be given Rajmata (mother of state) status to stop illegal cow slaughter.
