Thu 19 March 2020:
A BJP activist has been arrested for organising a cow urine consumption event here, claiming that it will protect people from coronavirus or cure those already infected, leading to a civic volunteer falling ill after drinking it, police said on Wednesday.
He was arrested late Tuesday night following a complaint filed by the victim with the police, they said. According to police officials, 40-year-old Narayan Chatterjee, a local party worker of Jorasakho area in North Kolkata, had on Monday organised a cow-worship programme at a cowshed and distributed cow urine.
He vouched for its “miraculous” properties while offering gaumutra to others. A civic volunteer, who was on duty near the cow shed also consumed gaumutra and fell sick on Tuesday, following which he lodged a complaint with the police against Chatterjee.
Many in the Hindu-majority nation of 1.3 billion consider cows sacred and believe drinking cow urine is a panacea for all manner of ailments, from arthritis and asthma to cancer and diabetes.
Last week, dozens of Hindu activists held a cow urine party in the capital New Delhi where they staged fire rituals and drank urine from earthen cups in order to fight the COVID-19.
Critics have rejected the urine claims as quackery.
The World Health Organisation in India has also been contacted for comment over the urine and dung claims.
The government said Wednesday there have been 151 positive cases and three deaths from the virus in India, the world’s second-most populous country with 1.3 billion people.
Most schools, entertainment facilities including cinemas, and even the iconic Taj Mahal have already been closed in India to try and stop the spread of the outbreak.
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