Maneka Gandhi vs ISKCON: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has decided to file a defamation suit against BJP MP Maneka Gandhi who had alleged that the chain of temples is the "biggest cheat in the country which sells cows from its gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers". The video of which has gone viral.
The allegation was strongly refuted and the ISKCON called it "unsubstantiated and false" and added that the devotees across the world are very hurt. Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, Radharamn Das said, "The comments of Maneka Gandhi were very unfortunate. Our devotees across the world are very hurt. We are taking legal action for defamation of Rs 100 Crores against her. We have sent her a notice today. How can an MP, once a Union Minister, lie without any evidence against such a big society?..."
In a statement, ISKCON earlier said, "Within India, ISKCON runs more than 60 goshalas protecting hundreds of sacred cows and bulls and providing personalized care for their entire lifetime. Many of the cows presently served in ISKCON's goshalas were brought to us after being found abandoned, injured, or rescued from being slaughtered."
In the undated video, Gandhi said "ISKCON establishes gaushalas and earns unlimited benefits for the same from the government, in the form of huge lands. "ISKCON is selling all its cows to the butchers and no one else does this more than them. They are the ones who roam on the road chanting 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' and say their entire life is dependent on milk," Gandhi, an animal rights activist, said in the purported video. I recently visited their Anantapur Gaushala (in Andhra Pradesh) and did not find even a single cow in good condition there.
There were no calves in the gaushala, which means all of them were sold off," Gandhi alleged.
