BJP only worships cows, doesn't protect them: Sheila Dikshit

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for blaming 'Gau Rakshaks' (cow protectors) for outrageous incidents like the flogging of four Dalits in Gujarat last month, Congress' UP chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worships cows, but do not bother protecting them.

"Cow protection is our prime responsibility. If I speak in the context of Uttar Pradesh, the roads are filled with cows. Cow-sheds should be put in place where cows can be kept safe. The BJP worships cow but they don't protect them," Dikshit told ANI.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday took strong exception to atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat's Una in the name of cow protection and said some people have opened shops in the name of cow protection, which makes him very angry.

"I am very much angry on those who have opened their occupation in the name of 'Gau Raksha' (cow protection). There are many 'Gau Rakshaks' (cow protectors). They protect cows to hide their illegal occupations. Cows mostly die of eating plastic bags and these gau rakshaks should urge people not to throw plastics on the roads. This will be a big sewa," said the Prime Minister, who was addressing the concluding session of the Town Hall meeting organised at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex here on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of MyGov(dot)in.