A BJP activist has been held for organising a cow urine consumption event in Kolkata, he organised it claiming that it will protect people from coronavirus or cure those already infected, leading to a volunteer falling ill after drinking it, police said on Wednesday.
He was arrested late Tuesday night following a complaint filed by the victim, they said.
As per the police officials, 40-year-old Narayan Chatterjee, a local party worker of Jorasakho area in North Kolkata, on Monday organised a cow worship programme at a cowshed and distributed cow urine.
He talked about the “miraculous” properties of offering gaumutra to others.
A civic volunteer, who was on duty near the cowshed consumed gaumutra and got sick on Tuesday, following which he lodged a complaint with the police against Chatterjee.
Reacting to the arrest, the state BJP leadership criticised the state government.
“Chatterjee had distributed cow urine, but he didn’t fool people in consuming it. When he distributed it he clearly said it was cow urine, he didn’t force anyone to drink it. It has not been proved whether it is harmful or not.
“So how can just police arrest him without any reason. This is completely undemocratic,” state BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu said.
West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh has said there is no harm in drinking cow urine and he has no qualms in admitting he consumes it. His party colleague and MP Locket Chatterjee, however, differed, terming it an “unscientific belief” that should be shunned.
