'Sip Cow Urine For Garba Pandal Entry In Indore': BJP Leader's Remark Sparks Row

A BJP functionary from Indore district on Monday urged organisers to make people sip "gaumutra" (cow urine) before letting them in garba pandals during Navratri festival as a Hindu can never refuse this precondition. The Congress questioned the BJP leader's call, terming it a new tactic of polarisation by the saffron party.

Proposing "aachman", BJP district president Chintu Verma told reporters that the aachman practice has great significance in Sanatan culture.

"We have requested organisers to ensure devotees do aachaman with cow urine before allowing them to enter garba pandals," he said.

According to Hindu customs, aachaman means taking a sip of water while reciting mantras for purification before starting religious rituals.

Queried about the rationale behind this demand, Verma said sometimes some people join these events which generate certain discussions.

"Aadhaar card can be edited. However, if a person is a Hindu, he will enter the Garba pandal only after aachaman of cow urine and there is no question of refusing it," he reasoned.

MP Congress spokesman Neelabh Shukla alleged that BJP leaders are silent on the plight of cow shelters and are only interested in politicising this issue.

"Raising the cow urine aachman demand is the BJP 's new trick of playing polarisation politics,'' he said and demanded BJP leaders sip cow urine before entering pandals and post videos on social media. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)