Govt should consider cow killers as criminals: Shankaracharya

Thane, May 12 (UNI) Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Kashi Sumeru Peeth, Swami Narendranand, demanded that cow slaughter be considered as an criminal offence and the offender be awarded stringent punishment.

Shankaracharya supervised five-day Bhagwan Parshuram Mahayagna that was held on Gunj-Kathi hills of Wada taluka and addressed reporters yesterday after the ceremony concluded.

He said the government should declare cow s national animal.

Killing of cow should be stopped for the sake of its milk that feeds scores of people, he said.

The ceremony started on May 7 at the occasion of Parshuram Jayanti. It was organised by Bhagwan Parshuram Sena and its founder Om Prakash Sharma and was well attended.

Shankaracharya, who had led the first Parshuram Yatra to Chiplun in Ratnagiri district in November 2007, said such 'Yagnas' conducted simultaneously throughout the country will help to bring peace and balance in the environment.

He informed that all Shankaracharyas would soon meet the President and demand to declare Parshuram Jayanti as a National Holiday.

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