Muslim social worker wants cow to be declared as national animal, stages unique protest in Shahjahanpur

Navi Salman, who dug his own 'grave' at Khirni Bagh Ramlila Maidan and lay down with his head out of the mud mound, said until the cow is declared as the national animal, he will continue to stage this kind of dharna.

Shahjahanpur: A Muslim social worker from Uttar Pradesh, who is demanding for declaration of cow as a national animal, on Monday staged a unique symbolic protest to press for his wish.

Navi Salman dug his own grave at Khirni Bagh Ramlila Maidan and lay down with his head out of the grave. The social worker said that he wants the cow to be declared as the national animal as this is the only way to save the animal. He has submitted a memorandum to the district administration regarding this. Salman said that until the cow is declared as the national animal, he will continue to protest like this. Salman's unique gesture drew a crowd which gathered to see Salman, who buried himself in the mud. Before this, Salman has staged a dharna by standing in the river.

Salman said until the cow is declared as the national animal, he will continue to stage this kind of dharna. in 2021, the Allahabad High Court said the government should declare the cow a “national animal” and include the bovine within the ambit of fundamental rights. The HC Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav spoke in defence of cow protection not from the point of view of the Hindu belief system but as cultural symbolism in a multi-faith country like India.

Cows should be brought under the scope of fundamental rights in Part III of the constitution, the judge said.