Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed the cow, as well as its dung and urine, can strengthen an individual's economy and make the country financially capable.
Speaking at a convention of women veterinarians organised by the Indian Veterinary Association, Chauhan said the government has developed cow sanctuaries and shelters but it will not work alone and requires the participation of society.
"If we want, we can strengthen our own economy and make the country financially capable through cows, their dung, and urine. MP's crematoriums have been using gaukasth (logs made of cow dung) to reduce the use of wood," he said.
He added that veterinary doctors and experts should engage in result-oriented work on how cow rearing could become a profitable business for small farmers and livestock owners.
Union minister Parshottam Rupala asked a Madhya Pradesh university to set up cow hostels for people who want to care for cows but have no space to keep them.
Parshottam Rupala, Union minister of fisheries, animal husbandry, and dairying, said that Dr Harisingh Gour Central University should establish a big centre for the shelter of cows on the lines of a hostel for students.
The National Cow Commission set up in 2019 has also been promoting the concept for cow hostels.
¡°We know from childhood the importance of cows in many aspects including milk production, manure production, and various medicinal uses. Unfortunately, with time we have forgotten the importance of indigenous cows,¡± he added.
In 2020, Madhya Pradesh set up a cow cabinet for the conservation and welfare of cows.
In May 2021, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA in Uttar Pradesh had called on people to drink 'gaumutra' (cow urine) to defeat Covid-19. Surendra Singh, MLA from Bairia in Ballia district, has also put up a video of himself drinking cow urine.
While appealing to people to consume cow urine, he himself gulped it down.
Surendra Singh claimed that the spread of Covid-19 can be controlled using 'gaumutra'. He claimed that the secret to his good health, despite working for 18 hours a day for the people, was