'Some Muslims Sacrifice Cows To...': Shankaracharya Says Ahead Of Eid-al-Adha

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand stated that if sacrifices are carried out publicly, it will hurt the spirit of communal harmony and lead to serious consequences.

File photo of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand.

Source : PTI

Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand on Tuesday expressed a concern about the practice of animal sacrifice, referring to Bakrid, claiming that some Muslims sacrifice cows to provoke Hindus. He warned that this tradition would have serious consequences. 

Shankaracharya said that sacrificing a cow in the name of religious tradition is not acceptable, and he appealed to the police administration that cow slaughter should not be allowed anywhere. He further stated that if sacrifices are carried out publicly, it will hurt the spirit of communal harmony and lead to serious consequences.

Additionally, a meeting was held at Patalpuri Math in Varanasi with dozens of religious leaders and intellectuals, where the session began with the recitation of Shri Hanuman Chalisa. Following this, Jagadguru Balakadevaacharya told ABP News that Varanasi is an ancient and sacred city.

He said that several rivers flow through the city, and if animal sacrifices are performed in the name of festivals and their blood flows into the rivers, it would directly harm religious sentiments and the environment. Therefore, animal slaughter should not be done publicly during any festival, we oppose this practice.

Animal Sacrifice Is Prohibited Within An 8-Kilometer Radius Of Mecca And Medina: Professor 

During the same meeting, BHU History Professor Dr. Rajeev Srivastava said that animal sacrifice is prohibited within an 8-kilometer radius of Mecca and Medina, considered the holiest sites in Islam. Similarly, cleanliness is given utmost importance in Vatican City. In the same way, Kashi is a religious city, and public animal slaughter should not take place here during any festival.

He added that such practices challenge both tradition and the environment. That is why today’s meeting was held, where a clear appeal was made that no public slaughter of animals should occur in Varanasi. Meanwhile, Muslim religious leaders have also appealed to their community to celebrate 'Bakrid' within the legal framework.