VHP wants cow as national animal

VHP wants cow as national animal
SHARAD GUPTA

NEW DELHI, DEC 15: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has a millennium agenda: Chuck the tiger, pick the cow. And they want to rope in even Bal Thackeray in their campaign.

The Sangh outfit wants to strip the poor tiger of the status of the national animal. They want that distinction to go to cow.

The demand will figure prominently at Parishad's Ahimsa Mahakumbha to be organised on Red Fort ground on January 1. VHP leaders are also likely to rake up the issue at the three-day meeting of their apex body, Margdarshak Mandal at Rameswaram starting January 7.

The Parishad not only wants cow to replace tiger as the national animal but also demands complete closure of mechanised abattoirs and ban on export of meat to protect cow. VHP leaders are confident of roping in various social and religious groups like Jain Samaj, Hindu Mahasabha and the Shiv Sena to build a mass movement. ``No Hindu can dare to oppose our demand to save cow,'' said a senior VHP leader.

The move is likely to create fresh problems for theAtal Behari Vajpayee government especially from its coalition partners, after the recent controversy over Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya.

The Bajrang Dal too, at its three-day executive meeting beginning from January 18 in Bhopal, would vigorously take up the demand for declaration of cow as national animal. The meeting will be presided over by former CBI director, Joginder Singh, a VHP leader said.