“ISKCON is the biggest cheat in India, no one has sold as many cattle to the butchers as they did”, alleges BJP MP Maneka Gandhi

“Probably, no one has sold as many cattle to the butchers as ISKCON did”, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi has stoked a massive storm with her allegations, calling ISKCON the biggest cheat in India. Gandhi has been a former minister and a known animal rights activists. Her statement has now gone viral on social media. 

"ISKCON is the biggest cheat in the country. It maintains gaushalas and get all the benefits from the government, including vast lands”, said Maneka Gandhi and also added that she during her recent visit to Anantpur gausala didn’t find a single dry cow. “Not a single dry cow in the entire dairy I found in Anantpur. Not a single calf was there. It means all were sold”, Gandhi alleged. Dry cows are those cows that don't milk anymore. 

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has strongly rejected her claims calling them “unsubstantiated and false”

Maneka Gandhi’s statement has brought back focus simply not on conduct of ISKCON but also on overall cow protection issue, one that has been championed by BJP- the party in power at the Centre. Maneka Gandhi is herself a BJP MP and thus her statement is seen as more damning for BJP. “ISKCON is selling all its cows to the butchers. No one else does this as much 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”, said Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday in a scathing attack. 

Rejecting the allegations, ISKCON's national spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das said that they have been internationally at the forefront of protecting cows. "The cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged," he said in the statement has rejected all allegations made by Gandhi. ISKCON claimed that they have pioneered cow protection in many parts of the world where beef is a staple diet. "Smt. Gandhi is a well-known animal rights activist and well-wisher of ISKCON hence we are surprised by these statements," read the statement.