Ajmer Sharif Cleric Calls for Cow to Be Declared National Animal Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha

Syed Sarwar Chishti , a cleric associated with the revered Ajmer Sharif Dargah, on Friday appealed to the Centre to declare the cow as India’s national animal and impose a nationwide ban on cow slaughter and sale for sacrifice ahead of Eid al-Adha later this month.

Addressing the media, Chishti said the cow occupies a sacred place in Hindu belief and should be protected through stronger constitutional and legal measures . He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a special session of Parliament to introduce legislation on the issue.

Calling for the debate to rise above politics, the cleric said such a move would promote communal harmony and mutual respect between communities. He also claimed many Muslims would support stricter cow protection laws if implemented fairly and transparently.

Alongside the demand for a ban on slaughter, Chishti highlighted what he described as a neglected aspect of cow welfare: the abandonment of cattle after their productive years . He alleged that many cows are left on roads once they stop producing milk, forcing them to survive on garbage and plastic waste.

He called for stricter penalties against cattle abandonment and stressed that cow protection should include responsibility for the care and shelter of ageing animals, not merely restrictions on slaughter.

The cleric also expressed concern over incidents in which Muslims were allegedly lynched on suspicion of cow slaughter and said any law related to cattle protection must prevent vigilantism and ensure enforcement through legal institutions alone.

Chishti further demanded a nationwide ban on beef exports and criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party government for not introducing stricter legislation despite being in power at the Centre for more than a decade.