Amethi: Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati sharpened his attack on the Uttar Pradesh government during his Gau Raksha Yatra in Amethi, questioning its commitment to cow protection and the condition of cow shelters across the state.
The Shankaracharya reached Amethi on Thursday, where devotees welcomed him with flowers at several locations. His yatra passed through different parts of the town before moving towards Gauriganj. During the visit, he administered a pledge to people for the protection of cows and said that the cow remains an important foundation of Indian culture and Sanatan Dharma.
Speaking to the media, he said the yatra began from Gorakhpur and aims to create public awareness for protecting the life and dignity of cows. He claimed that he has already visited around 80 to 90 Assembly constituencies and found growing concern among people over the condition of cattle.
Targeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Shankaracharya said that merely feeding jaggery and roti to cows or running cow shelters does not make anyone a true Gau Bhakt. He said that if the government is genuinely committed to cow protection, it should remove the cow from the animal category and officially declare it as Gau Mata.
He also alleged that despite claims of large budget allocations, many cow shelters lack proper fodder, water and medicines. He further claimed that stray cattle are still roaming in villages and that people are now treating cow protection as a major public issue, not just electricity, water or development.