Indian minister urges public to worship cow on Valentine’s Day

A minister from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday requested the public to celebrate Valentine’s Day by “expressing love and faith towards cows by offering them ‘gud and roti'” and taking their blessings by “touching their head and neck.”

“Gavo Vishwasya Matarah” in Vedas means “Cow is the mother of the world,” State Animal Husbandry Minister Dharam Pal Singh said in a statement.

He underscored the paramount importance of cow “not only because of emotional or religious reasons but also because of fulfilling essential needs”, mentioning the use of cow products in every festival, worship, fast, and ritual in Indian society.”

Singh even asked the people of the state to use cow dung on the occasion of ‘Holika Dahan’ as it’s environment-friendly and reduces air pollution.

On February 6, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) issued an “appeal” to the public to celebrate February 14 as “Cow Hug Day”, saying it “will bring emotional richness” and “increase individual and collective happiness”.

The appeal highlighted the importance of the cow as the backbone of Indian culture and rural economy, adding “Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction” due to the progress of western culture.

However, the appeal was withdrawn Friday after the directive became the subject of memes on social media.

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According to numerous rights activists, couples in the country celebrating Valentine’s Day, which is often regarded as a bad Western import by the ‘moral police’, face hostility every year, NDTV reported, highlighting common cases of couples getting thrashed on this day, especially in rural regions.