Mulayam's 'Choti Bahu' Differs from SP on Cow Welfare Tax, Says 'We Welcome the Decision'

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party might be raising questions over the recently announced ‘Cow Welfare Cess’ by the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, but the ‘Choti Bahu’ of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Aparna Yadav, has differed from the party stand and welcomed the move.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Aparna, who has been reportedly working for cattle welfare, welcomed the decision taken for ‘Gau Sewa’. However, she added that now it is the responsibility of the government to implement the tax and utilise funds in the right direction.

“We welcome the decision taken in the interest for Gau Sewa, however it is the responsibility of the government to utilise the funds in the right direction. We are ready to bear the burden of another tax for our Gau Mata, provided we don’t see any more stray cows in the state.”

“Many a times, we hear that cows are loitering in the streets and eating trash which ultimately results in their death. The government should ensure proper treatment of the cows which are kept in dairies and their owners should be made responsible if their cattle is found roaming on the streets,” said Aparna.

It should be noted that Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan, while speaking to News18 on Wednesday, had a different view on the issue. He had said, “I can smell corruption brewing. The BJP is using emotional issues like Ganga and cow to extract money from the common man.”

Defending the state’s move, UP government spokesperson and cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma had said, “The decision to levy cow welfare cess had been taken to find a solution to the problem of stray cattle in the state. A committee would be set up at block, tehsil and district levels for the implementation of the plan.”

The move is aimed to construct shelters for the cows in all districts, gram panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations and other local bodies. A budget of Rs 100 crore has been sanctioned to the local bodies to construct the shelters under MNREGA.

Last week in Uttar Pradesh, farmers unhappy over stray cows destroying their crops had driven them away and locked them up in government buildings, especially in Iglas and Khair tehsils. Unconfirmed reports said several schools in the area were closed as farmers turned the compounds into temporary cow shelters.