Lucknow, March 10 Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati issued a call on Tuesday for "true Hindus" to participate in a program in Lucknow on Wednesday as part of his campaign seeking the status of "national mother" for the cow and a complete ban on its slaughter.
The seer arrived in the state capital a day before the event, named "Gau Pratishtha Dhwaj Sthapana, Dharm Yudh Shankhnaad Sabha," which is scheduled to take place after 2 pm on Wednesday.
"All those who are true Hindus will come to the program tomorrow," Saraswati said on Tuesday, adding that the campaign would continue until the goal of a nationwide ban on cow slaughter is achieved.
"We cannot stop until we achieve this goal. We must keep moving until we can say that we live in a country where cow slaughter does not occur," he told
Responding to a question about the rules imposed by local authorities for the event, the seer said that he had not come to make political remarks.
According to organizers, the event has been granted permission by local authorities subject to 26 conditions. These include restrictions on inflammatory speeches against any religion, caste, community, or language, and a ban on abusive remarks against political or religious figures.
Minors cannot be made to raise controversial slogans, vehicle entry will be limited, and traffic movement should not be disrupted.
Other conditions require organizers to ensure that no prohibited items are carried except traditional flags, arrange private security, follow fire and traffic safety guidelines, adhere to noise pollution norms and environmental regulations, and bear the cost of police deployment and venue arrangements.
Commenting on these conditions and the expenses to be borne by organizers, Avimukteshwaranand said it was similar to the "jazia" (tax) levied on non-Muslims during the Mughal era.
"Just as people paid 'jazia' during the Mughal era to practice their religion, we too are paying 'jazia' in the present regime to perform our religious duties," he said.
The seer began his march for cow protection on March 6 after offering prayers at the Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi. The yatra passed through Raebareli, Unnao, and Sitapur before reaching Lucknow on Tuesday.
The program is scheduled to take place at a time when several right-wing groups in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere have also planned protests over controversial remarks made by Maulana Abdullah Saleem against the chief minister. The seer condemned the Bihar cleric's remarks, saying that no one has the right to insult someone's mother.
On Monday while passing through Hardoi, Avimukteshwaranand said his campaign to secure "national mother" status for the cow was not aligned with any political party.
"The BJP is not my enemy, but other parties are not my friends either. Whoever speaks about protecting Gau Mata and declaring it the national mother will get my support," he told reporters after addressing a gathering in Madhauganj.
He said he was directly appealing to voters to support this demand, alleging that no government had taken concrete steps in this direction.
"We have seen all parties and leaders, but none are ready to stand firmly for cow protection," he said.
Calling for a shift in electoral priorities, the seer urged people to make cow protection a central issue in upcoming elections.
"Elections have been fought in the name of caste, community, roads, electricity, and water. Now people should resolve that the next election will be fought in the name of Gau Mata," he said.