Push to Crown Gau Mata as National Symbol Grows Stronger

In an effort to elevate the status of the cow to that of a national symbol, Shailendra Yogiraj Sarkar, speaking at a press conference in Shimla, urged the central government to declare the cow as 'Rashtra Mata'. This initiative, part of the Gau Dhwaj campaign by Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, seeks national legislation banning cow slaughter.

Highlighting a contradiction in existing laws, Sarkar emphasized the need for uniformity, referencing Maharashtra's recent declaration of Gau Mata as 'Rajya Mata'. This campaign aims to apply moral pressure on governments to afford the cow legal sanctity across communities and remove it from the list of animals.

As Sarkar continues his nationwide tour, performing rituals at Gau Dhwaj sites, he stresses the campaign's potential influence on electoral decisions, appealing to voters to support candidates committed to cow protection, a sentiment echoed by local allies like Narender Bhardwaj in Himachal Pradesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)