Will do everything to protect cows in UP: Deputy CM Maurya

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said that previous governments had not shown will power to act against those involved in illegal cow slaughter but the present regime would do everything to protect the bovine population.

"The previous state governments did not implement the provisions of Cow Slaughter Act (Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955) properly. But, we will work to ensure protection to cow and bovines," Maurya told reporters here.

The state government would do everything possible to protect cows, he said.

His remarks came over a question about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's demand for a country-wide law against cow slaughter.

Bhagwat had today termed cow slaughter a "vice" and demanded a pan-India law against it. He had also condemned violence by cow protection groups saying it "defames" the cause.

Bhagwat said many states where RSS functionaries, a reference to BJP leaders with Sangh background, have been in power have enacted such a law and expressed confidence that other governments will follow suit by dealing with local "complexities".