New Delhi: Major row erupts over Maneka Gandhi's 'ISKCON is the biggest cheat' remark

New Delhi : A major controversy has erupted over BJP MP and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi’s remarks concerning the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as she termed it the "biggest cheat in the country” and accused it of selling cows from its gaushalas (cow shelters) to butchers. The ISKCON has refuted the claims.

In a video that went viral, the BJP MP, who is also an animal rights activist, can be heard saying, "ISKCON is the biggest cheat in the country. It maintains gaushalas and get benefits from the government, including vast lands.”

She also recalled her visit to ISKCON's Anantpur Gaushala in Andhra Pradesh, where she claimed that she couldn't find any cow that doesn't give milk or calves. "There was no dry cow in the entire dairy. Not a single calf was there. It means all were sold," she is heard saying in the video.

"ISKCON is selling all its cows to butchers. No one else does this as much as they do. And they go 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," she alleged. However, Maneka’s allegations were rejected by ISKCON, whose national spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das shared the statement on social media platform X, and said, “Response to the unsubstantiated and false statements of Maneka Gandhi. ISKCON has been at the forefront of cow and bull protection and care not just in India but globally. The cows and bulls are served for their life not sold to butchers as alleged.”