Well, there was ruckus in Karnataka assembly over the anti-cow slaughter bill that the BJP wanted to push forth. While protecting the cows is a noble cause, looks like the BJP’s obsession of cows and their upkeep is going too far.
This is the latest example of their ‘over-protection’. The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan is planning to impose cow cess on fuel. From this act, his government intends to make Rs 200 crore, which will in return be used for welfare of cows in the state. Ironically, MP also has a cow cabinet.
But MP is not the only state planning to levy such a cess. Already, the cess is being implemented in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab. As per government plans, it intends to levy 15 paise on one litre of petrol and Rs 10 on a cylinder of gas.
So, if one does the math, then the cess collected from fuel will add up to Rs 120 crore and that charged on cylinder will add up to Rs 80 crore. The chief minister feels the ‘gaumata’ tax will also help in retaining the Indian culture.
He said he was planning the move to raise money for the welfare of ‘gaumata’ and upkeep of cow sheds. “We used to feed the first roti to the cow and the last roti to the dog. This culture is fast disappearing. So, we are thinking of collecting small tax from the public for the sake of cows,” said Chouhan.