Watch | BJP MP Maneka Gandhi accuses ISKCON of selling cows to butchers; ISKCON denies allegations, provides evidence

BJP MP Maneka Gandhi has made an astonishing claim against the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (popularly known as ISKCON) in a video. The MP said has accused ISKCON of selling cows to butchers. 

In a viral video, Maneka Gandhi in Hindi said, "Sabse bade jo yaha desh ke dhokebaaz hai...wo hai ISKCON. Wo rakhte hai Gaushalas aur sarkar se duniya bhar ke faayede milte hai gsushalas chalane ke...unhe zameen milti hai sab kuch milta hai. Main abhi unki Anantpur Gaushala mein gayi. Ek bhi sukhi gayi nahi thi. Puri ki puri dairy thi magar ek bhi bachda nahi hai...iska matlab sab beche gaye. ISCKON is selling all its cows to the butchers. Jitna yeh karte hai utna koi ni karta. (The biggest cheater in the country is ISKON. They have several cow shelters and avail benefits from governments to run those cow shelters. They get lands and other facilities to run those cow shelters. I recently went to Anantpur Goshala (cow shelter) and I found not a single cow was dry. In the entire dairy, there was not a single calf, which means all have been sold to butchers...They say their entire life is dependent on milk…Probably no one has sold as many cattle to butchers as they did. If these people can do it, what about others?").

Notably, a dry cow has not been milked.

Watch video:

Here's what ISKCON said:

The temple body has hit back at the BJP MP calling her statement “unsubstantiated” and “false”.

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“ISKCON has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally. The cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged,” spokesperson of ISKCON Yudhistir Govinda Das wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“ISKCON has pioneered cow protection in many parts of the world where beef is a staple diet. Within India, ISKCON runs more than 60 gaushalas protecting hundreds of sacred cows and bulls and providing personalised care for their entire lifetime. Many of the cows presently served in ISCKON's gaushalas were brought to us after being found abandoned, injured, or rescued from being slaughtered,” the statement read.

Further, the temple authority said that ISKCON has begun training programmes for the farmers and rural households on cow care techniques to help revive the culture of cow worship.

"Gandhi is a well-known animal rights activist and well-wisher of ISKCON hence we are surprised by these statements," the statement read.

Further, Yudhistir Govinda Das has shared a letter from the Veterinary doctor regarding the Anantapur Govt Goshala. He wrote the Goshalas serve 76 bulls and 246 non-milking cows alongside milking cows with love and devotion.

Das claimed that Maneka Gandhi never visited the Goshala (cow shelter), and added, "None of the workers or staff recollect seeing/meeting her".

ISKCON national spokesperson also shared CCTV footage of 24 September of the Anantapur goshala with the non-milking cows to defend their remark.

What does ISKON do with non-dairy cows?

ISKCON national spokesperson said that cows and bulls are taken care of for their entire natural life in our goshalas.

"Depending on the place, some have mechanisms & volunteers to help make the gobar into manure, others into panchagavya items like dhoop, diya, jivamrut, cakes for havan, etc. Where it is feasible some also have biogas plants," he said.