UP Minister Celebrates Valentine's Day As "Cow Love Day"

Uttar Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Dharmpal Singh on Tuesday celebrated Valentine's Day as "cow love day" by offering jaggery and rotis to cows and said that they should be treated as mothers.

He said there is no animal like a cow in the world whose “mal-mutra” (stool and urine) is “pious”.

"Today, Valentine's Day is celebrated all over the world. There are many relations like mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, and one's love should be expressed,'' Mr Singh told reporters.

"We have three mothers -- our mother, who gives us birth, 'gau mata' (cow) and Bharat Mata. First love should be for our mother, then 'gau mata' (cow) and then Bharat Mata 'ko pranaam karna chahiye' (should be saluted)," the minister said.

Mr Singh offered ‘gud' (jaggery) and rotis to cows in the Bakshi ka Talab area in Lucknow to mark the day.

He urged people to celebrate "cow love day" on Valentine's Day.

“They (people) should go to a 'gaushala' (cow shelter home), feed roti to a cow and pray to her,” Mr Singh said.

“Even a simple visit to 'Gaushala' can keep tension away as there is an emotional connect to it. By entering 'Gaushala' the door to development opens. There are no such animals (like cows) in the world whose 'mal-mutra' (stool-urine) is pious. Its dung and urine are also pious. In cow's dung lives Lakshmi," the minister added.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had on last Monday appealed to the people to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day'. The directive was later withdrawn on the directions of the government after the move became the subject of memes on social media.

Mr Singh had on Saturday appealed to people to celebrate February 12 by expressing love and faith towards cows by offering them gud and rotis.

Besides, people should seek blessings of cows by touching their head and neck, the minister had said.

"Gavo Vishwasya Matarah in vedas means the cow is the mother of the world. Therefore, on this day, one should resolve to serve the mother cow regularly," he had said.

Mr Singh also said cow dung should be used on the occasion of 'Holika Dahan' as it is environment-friendly and reduces air pollution.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)