Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Sunday returned a cow which had been gifted to him by the Sankaracharya of the Govardhan Peeth, Swami Adhokshjanand Maharaj, fearing that a vigilante could kill the animal to “defame” him.
The former Uttar Pradesh Minister in a letter to the seer said: “Muslims are living in an atmosphere of insecurity ... Any cow vigilante might harm or even kill the beautiful and beneficial animal to defame me and the Muslim community.”
The Sankaracharya had in October 2015 gifted a black cow to Mr. Khan after the latter had expressed his desire to have one in his dairy.
In his letter, Mr. Khan alleged that a “vicious propaganda has been launched against Muslims in the country and their condition was even worse than that of slaves.” He accused the State government of practising double standards, saying: “The VVIPs are allowed to consume meat but common people are being troubled unnecessarily and even eliminated.” The Samajwadi Party leader’s letter said he had accorded “best treatment” to the cow.
