Rajasthan government considering MLAs’ demand to declare cows ‘Rajmata’

The Rajasthan government will soon take a decision on the legislators’ demand to accord the status of Rajmata (mother of state) to cows in the state, officials said on Tuesday.
In a bid to keep illegal cow slaughter at bay, 31 MLAs have written a letter to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, demanding the status of Rajmata for the bovine in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Sharma has written back to these MLAs and assured them that the government is getting the matter under consideration and a decision would be taken soon.
The MLAs who have made the demand include Animal Husbandry Minister Otaram Dewasi, BJP Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg, Independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati, BJP MLAs Gopal Sharma and Balmukundacharya, among others.
Two months ago in Jaipur, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda launched the ‘Gau Dhwaj’ movement in Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium to accord the status of Mother of Nation as well as ‘Mother of State’ to cows.
Since then, all the MLAs are being approached and asked to write letters. Animal Husbandry Minister Zoraram Kumawat said, “A similar law has been enacted in Maharashtra, and we are forming a team to study those rules. After that, a decision will be taken to give the status of State Mother to cows in Rajasthan as well. Our department has also contacted the Maharashtra government, and we have also asked for rules from there”.
“We have banned calling cows stray animals. We are providing a 12 months’ financial contribution to the Nandi Gaushala run by the state government and a nine-month financial contribution to all the other Gaushalas (cow shelters) by the Rajasthan government”, he added.
On Monday, a Rajasthan government order said that the term ‘stray’ will not be used for cows and other bovines in Rajasthan as its use is ‘insulting’ and ‘inappropriate’.
Use of words like ‘helpless’ or ‘destitute’ should be encouraged for cows and other bovines that are roaming on their own.
Meanwhile, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot has slammed BJP MLAs for making this demand and said that cows and religion are the only means for the saffron party to garner votes.
He said that it was the previous Congress government in the state who started the scheme to grant funds to cow shelters in Rajasthan and if anything has been done for the welfare of cows in the state, it has been done by Congress.