Declare Cow as National Animal to End Hate Politics and Lynching: Arshad Madani

New Delhi, May 20 : Maulana Syed Arshad Madani on Wednesday said that declaring the cow as India’s “national animal” could help end hate politics and mob violence carried out in the name of cow protection, while expressing concern over rising incidents of lynching and communal tension targeting Muslims.

The president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind made the remarks in a detailed post on social media platform X, where he criticised what he described as “politics of hatred” surrounding the issue of cow protection.

Madani said it would be a matter of happiness if the government officially declared the cow a national animal, arguing that such a move could provide a permanent solution to recurring disputes and violence linked to the issue.

He noted that a large section of the majority community considers the cow sacred and reveres it as a mother figure. However, he stressed that no innocent person should lose their life in the name of religion or identity politics.

“Mob lynchings in the name of the cow, the killing of innocent people, hate politics and the campaign to defame Muslims must come to an end,” Madani said.

He questioned why the government had not yet introduced a resolution to declare the cow a national animal if the issue was considered so important politically and socially.

Madani also highlighted what he termed as inconsistencies in the implementation of laws related to beef consumption and cattle trade across different states. He alleged that incidents of attacks on minorities frequently occur in states with sizeable Muslim populations, while in several other parts of the country beef is sold openly without controversy.

“This is not devotion, but a double standard and political manoeuvring,” he remarked.

The senior Muslim leader further claimed that some leaders and ministers associated with the BJP had themselves admitted publicly to consuming beef in the past, while groups involved in violence in the name of cow protection remained silent on such statements.

Madani, who also serves as the Vice President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said the present atmosphere of communal tension required a long-term and uniform legal framework instead of selective enforcement and political mobilisation.

He argued that granting the cow the status of a national animal and implementing a uniform law across all states without discrimination could reduce tensions and end repeated incidents of violence.

“Whatever law is enacted for this purpose should be applied equally across the country,” he said, while emphasising that human lives and communal harmony should not become casualties of political narratives.

Madani’s remarks come amid continuing national debate over cow protection laws, vigilante violence and communal polarisation, issues that have repeatedly triggered political controversy and public discussion in recent years.

He appealed for efforts to promote peace, mutual respect and social harmony, saying that politics based on hatred and division weakens the country’s unity and damages its democratic fabric.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)