Prayagraj: Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Gau Raksha wing on Sunday demanded that cows be declared a national heritage and called for stringent laws to curb slaughter cases.The demand was raised at a meeting held in the Arail area, where VHP central secretary Dinesh Upadhyay, who is also the Akhil Bharatiya Gauraksha chief, emphasised that protecting ‘Gau Mata’ was possible only through a series of measures, including granting the cow national heritage status.He also called for setting up an independent ministry for bovine welfare, reclaiming grazing lands to create sanctuaries for destitute cattle, and establishing gaushalas (cow shelters). He claimed that measures such as making farmers self-reliant through training in ‘Panchagavya’ and cow-based organic farming, along with providing employment to cow devotees, could yield positive results.Lal Mani Tiwari, regional secretary for Gauraksha (Kashi Prant), said, “Only if the cow survives, will the nation survive.” He said, “Everyone should engage in cow service, regarding it as service to the divine (Narayana seva).”The meeting was also attended by over 105 office-bearers from 22 districts. .
