Bharatiya Janata Party MP Maneka Gandhi has stirred up a fresh controversy, calling the global religious organisation, Iskcon, a "big fraud". In a video she can be heard saying the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) only pretends to protect cows while actually selling cattle to slaughterhouses. The Iskcon on Wednesday issued a strong statement refuting her allegation. Gandhi said: "Sabse bade desh ke dhokebaaz hain ISKCON [The biggest fraudsters of the country are ISKCON]".
"They maintain gaushalas (cow sheds) with government funds. They even get plots for gaushalas from the government," Gandhi said. "But no cow is dry there. All are being used for dairies. No calf is there...Iskcon is selling all their cows to the butchers," she alleged. She added, “They say their entire life is dependent on milk. Probably no one has sold as many cattle to butchers as they did. If these people can do it, what about others?”
Responding to Gandhi’s remarks, ISKCON national spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das said that the cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged. Das took to X and said, “ISKCON has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally.”
Das further stated that Gandhi has made the allegations following a letter from the Veterinary doctor regarding the Anantapur Govt Goshala that is maintained by ISKCON. “The Goshalas serves 76 bulls and 246 non-milking cows along side milking cows with love and devotion,” he added.
‘Surprised By These Statements’: ISKCON Reacts To Maneka Gandhi’s Claims
Reacting to the claims made by Maneka Gandhi, ISKCON called it “unsubstantiated” and said that the organisation is “surprised” by the statements made by her.
“ISKCON has pioneered cow protection in many parts of the world where beef is a staple diet. Within India, ISKCON runs more than 60 Goshalas protecting hundreds of sacred cows and bulls and providing personalized care for their entire lifetime. Many of the cows presently served in ISKCON's goshalas were brought to us after being found abandoned, injured, or rescued from being slaughtered,” ISKCON said in a statement.
“In recent times, ISKCON has begun training programs for the farmers and rural households on cow care techniques to help revive the culture of cow worship and care as was the case in previous generations. Several ISKCON Goshalas are recognized and lauded for their high cow-care standards by the Government or association of Goshalas,” the statement further read.