In response to BJP MP Maneka Gandhi’s recent statement accusing the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of selling cows to butchers for slaughter, ISKCON has taken legal action by sending a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Gandhi. ISKCON vehemently denies these allegations, deeming them entirely baseless and offensive.
Vice President of ISKCON Kolkata, Radharaman Das, stated, “Today we have sent a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Maneka Gandhi for levelling completely unfounded allegations against ISKCON. The worldwide community of ISKCON devotees, supporters, and well-wishers are deeply pained by these defamatory, slanderous, and malicious accusations. We will not leave any stone unturned in our pursuit of justice against the fallacious propaganda against ISKCON.”
Gandhi’s accusations stemmed from a video in which she referred to ISKCON as the “biggest cheat in the country, which sells cows from its gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers.” She further alleged that ISKCON established Goushalas and benefited from government assistance in the form of extensive land holdings. Gandhi claimed that during her visit to an ISKCON Gaushala in Andhra Pradesh, she found no cows in good condition and no calves, implying that all the cows had been sold.
ISKCON swiftly responded to these allegations, dismissing them as “unsubstantiated and false.”
