By Muslim Mirror Staff
In a scathing attack on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Maneka Gandhi accused the religious organization of being the “biggest cheat” in the country, alleging that it sells cows from its gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers. ISKCON, the influential global Krishna sect, has denied these allegations, calling them “unsubstantiated and false.”
Gandhi, a former union minister and prominent animal rights activist, made her claims in a viral video, stating, “ISKCON is the biggest cheat in the country. It maintains gaushalas and receives benefits from the government, including vast lands.” She recounted her visit to ISKCON’s Anantpur Gaushala in Andhra Pradesh, where she asserted, “There was no dry cow in the entire dairy. Not a single calf was there. It means all were sold.”
A “dry cow” refers to one that has not been milked for some time. Gandhi continued, “ISKCON is selling all its cows to the butchers. No one else does this as much as they do. And they go on and sing ‘Hare Ram Hare Krishna’ on the roads. Then they say their entire life is dependent on milk. Probably, no one has sold as many cattle to the butchers as they did.”
ISKCON’s national spokesperson, Yudhistir Govinda Das, refuted these allegations, stating, “The religious body has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally. The cows and bulls are served for their life, not sold to butchers as alleged.” ISKCON emphasized its role in cow protection across regions where beef is a staple diet and expressed surprise at the allegations.
In a statement, ISKCON said, “Smt. Gandhi is a well-known animal rights activist and well-wisher of ISKCON, hence we are surprised by these statements.” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, associated with the Hare Krishna movement, boasts hundreds of temples and millions of devotees worldwide.
This controversy follows a recent incident where one of ISKCON’s monks, Amogh Lila Das, criticized Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The religious body promptly “banned” the monk and sent him for atonement after his comments triggered a controversy.