Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday hit out at those calling cow an animal, saying it is revered as a mother in Indian tradition and that Muslim clerics should caution their followers against showing any disrespect towards it.
Addressing a government programme in Bijnor, the CM, referring to the recent statements by clerics and public demonstrations to declare the cow a national animal, the CM said, “A son does not need to be told to respect his mother. People hold the same reverence for both their mother and cow. Those who call the cow an animal also support cow slaughter.”
The Chief Minister warned those allegedly posting images of cows on social media while extending Bakrid greetings and asked the clerics to discourage such a practice.
“Strict action will be taken against cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh,” he asserted.
During the programme, Adityanath distributed land ownership certificates to 1,645 families displaced from Pakistan, as well as to ex-servicemen and leaseholders.
About the families displaced from Pakistan, he said, “Religious extremism led to the forcible seizure of their ancestral properties during Partition, and resulted in the massacre of innocent Hindus and Sikhs. At last, the fourth generation of those displaced families is finally receiving land ownership rights decades later.”
The certificates would benefit nearly 8,000 to 10,000 members of 1,645 families, while the process for the remaining eligible families is underway, the government said in a press statement.
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Questioning why maulavis and maulanas had not spoken out on behalf of families displaced by religious persecution in Pakistan, the CM said if they had shown concern for those victims and advocated returning seized properties or compensating those affected, it would have demonstrated genuine sensitivity.
They instead maintain double standards, he alleged, adding that many religious leaders remained silent on the incidents of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
They should have publicly declared Pakistan an enemy of India and supported the efforts of Indian armed forces in responding to the adversary’s hostile actions, he said.
“Earlier, festivals such as Ram Navami, Janmashtami, Durga Puja, and Kanwar Yatra faced significant challenges in western Uttar Pradesh. Also, women, students, and traders felt insecure then,” he claimed.
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Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for passing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he said the law enables persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who to obtain Indian citizenship after they have lived in the country for more than five years. He criticised the Opposition parties for opposing the legislation and accused them of supporting illegal infiltration.
Meanwhile, referring to a recent incident in Ghaziabad where a youth was killed allegedly by his friend from another community and the suspect’s subsequent killing in a police encounter, Adityanath said, “You must have heard of the Ghaziabad incident where stabbing took place in the disguise of friendship. This is not acceptable. The one who is unable to make his good-for-nothing son understand is making a mistake.”
