Fake cow protectors should be exposed, severely punished: PM Modi reiterates in Telangana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India was a land of diversity and "protecting our country's unity and integrity is our primary responsibility."

Gajwel (Telangana): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his denunciation of cow vigilantes, asking people to beware of its 'fake' protectors trying to divide society and the country.

At the same time, he asked the states to severely punish them.

"Want to tell everyone to remain alert of fake 'gau rakshaks' (cow protectors)," PM Modi said, adding, "Want to tell state governements to take stern action against these handful of fake 'gau rakshaks' involved in anti-social elements. These fake 'gau rakshaks' need to exposed, isolated and punished."

Terming cattle as country's wealth, he further said, "The intention of these fake 'gau rakshaks' is to simply divide the country, they have nothing to do with 'gau raksha'.

PM Modi was speaking at inauguration of first phase of NTPC Super Thermal Power Project in Medak.

He maintained that India was a land of diversity and said that "protecting our country's unity and integrity is our primary responsibility. To fulfill it all countrymen should protect and serve cows (gau raksha and gau seva karein). Such service enhances national wealth.... It does not create problem for the nation".

सच्चे गौ पूजकों एवं सेवकों से प्रार्थना- आप भी सजग रहिए, कहीं आपका ये उम्दा कार्य मुट्ठी भर लोग अपने निजी स्वार्थ के लिए तबाह ना कर दें।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2016

Yesterday too, in his first Town-Hall in Delhi, PM Modi had strongly rebuked the cow vigilantes, saying most of them were "anti-social" elements running "shops" in the name of cow protection which made him "angry".

In his first public denouncement of cow vigilantes, he had said in the national capital that he felt enraged at such elements who indulged in crimes by the night and masqueraded as cow protectors by the day.

PM Modi had emphasised that real cow protectors do not terrorise people and had urged state governments to prepare "dossiers" on such so-called cow protectors and put them on a tight leash.

"I feel infuriated at some people who have opened shops in the name of cow protection. I have seen that some people who commit anti-social activities through the night, don the mantle of cow protectors by the day. I urge the state governments to prepare a dossier of such self-proclaimed volunteers and big cow protectors. It will be found that 70 to 80 per cent are such people who commit such bad deeds which society does not accept. To hide their bad activities, they don the mantle of cow protectors," he had said.

Noting that more cows die from consuming plastic than from slaughter, he had said that those who want to serve the animal should rather work towards stopping cows from eating plastic as that will be a bigger service.

Recalling his own work in the service of cow, he had said that at one health camp organised by him for the animal, at least two buckets full of plastic were removed from the stomach of one of them.

He had made the comments during his Town Hall-style address to mark the second anniversary of his government's MyGov initiative.

Watch PM Modi below: 

मेरा आग्रह है कि हम गाय को कृषि के साथ जोड़ें। गाय कभी भी बोझ नहीं बनेगी। https://t.co/RWn49eLhQM

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2016

(With Agency inputs)