Declare cow as national animal to save human lives: Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind chief

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madni has a suggestion to stop assaults and killings in the name of cow protection in the country. Speaking to mediapersons in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said that cow must be declared national animals to protect cows as well as human lives.

“Do one thing, make a law to declare cow the national animal. This way both cows and human lives will be safe. This will be useful for the country,” said Maulana Arshad Madni on Tuesday.

This comes amid country-wide debate over violence in the name of cow vigilantism.

The Supreme Court had in January sought replies from three states – Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana – over a plea seeking contempt action against the state governments for allegedly not following the top court’s order to take stern steps against cow vigilantes.

The contempt petition, filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, alleged that the three states did not comply with the top court order of September 6, 2017, which had asked state government to act to prevent violence in the name of cow protection.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud issued notice and sought the replies from the three states by April 3, 2018.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for Gandhi, said that despite the apex court order, violent incidents were still being witnessed in various parts of these states. The bench said it would hear the contempt petition along with the main writ petition filed by Gandhi earlier.

On September 6, 2017, the apex court had asked all the states to take stern measures to stop violence in the name of cow protection, including appointing of senior police officers as nodal officer in every district within a week and acting promptly to check cow vigilantes from behaving like they are "law unto themselves".

Observing that such acts of violence "must stop", it had directed the states to form a dedicated task force in each district. It had asked their chief secretaries to file status report giving details of actions taken by them to prevent incidents of cow vigilantism.

"The senior police officer shall take prompt action and ensure (that) vigilante groups and such people are prosecuted with quite promptitude," the top court had said.

It had observed that the people "should not take law into their hands" and "they should not behave as if they were law unto themselves".

(With agency inputs)