BJP MP Pragya Thakur stokes row with 'gaumutra for fighting Covid-19' remark

BJP MP Pragya Thakur has again kicked up a row by presenting herself as the evidence of how cow urine can fight Covid-19, a remark that led to severe criticism on social media.

Rajya Sabha MP from BSP Danish Ali slammed the "unscientific and illogical" statement from the BJP MP which said that drinking cow urine saved her from Covid-19.

"This will ultimately discourage people from vaccination and invite more devastation," he said.

Read | Pragya Thakur drinks cow urine every day to keep Covid-19 at bay

Ali also posted the link of the news video in which the Bhopal MP while addressing a group saying "I am taking cow urine. If we take the essence of the urine of indigenous cow (desi gaay ke mutra ka ark), it removes the infection from our lungs. I am in distress but I daily take the essence of cow urine (gomutra ka ark). Hence I am not needing any medicine for corona now. Neither am I Corona affected. cow urine is life-giving (jeevan dayini) for us."

In the background of similar such remarks having made by some other leaders of BJP, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, addressing a lecture series ‘Positivity Unlimited’ organised on Saturday, had given a word of caution against the practice of prescribing just any kind of therapy in the name of Ayurveda without it having gone through adequate scientific testing.

"So many things keep on going on in the name of Ayurveda. if you are using something and think you are benefitting from it, it is ok but this should not be prescribed to everybody, till this has not been scientifically proven....," the RSS chief had said.

The media in Gujarat have reported that a 40-bed hospital has been set up in Banaskantha, Gujarat, to treat Covid patients with 'Panchgavya' therapy and mantras. Cow products— three direct constituents (dung, urine, and milk) and the two derived products (curd and ghee)— form 'Panchgavya'.

An MLA from BJP in UP Surendra Singh had also earlier claimed that drinking cow urine essence has protected him from Covid-19.

His prescription was "mix 50 ml cow urine with 100 ml water", which he claimed also works as "superpower" medicine even in heart disease.

He said that he has remained healthy using this even as he mingles with people most of the time. He had done a video demonstration of taking the cow urine essence (gaumutra ark) and advised people to go for fresh cow urine if they can not buy the bottled essence.

Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur had last Tuesday made an appeal to people to perform "yagya'' and offer "aahuti" to purify the environment from coronavirus.

"The pandemic has sent out a message that we have to return to the Vedic lifestyle", she had said in March as well, prescribing 'havan' during sunrise and sunset with cow dung cake mixed with ghee from cow milk and rice to help eliminate viruses.

A video of cow dung therapy from a cow shelter Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthanam in which people were seen smearing cow dung and urine also went viral a few days ago, evoking strong criticism and jeers on social media.