Govt. seems to care more for cows than women: Jaya Bachchan

The echo of the recent ban on cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh was felt in the Rajya Sabha today when an angry Jaya Bachchan, Samajwadi Party MP, accused the government of doing more for cows than for women in India.

She said in the Rajya Sabha today, "We are protecting cows but not women. We need to aggressively take steps to protect women."

What triggered this reaction was a chain of events. The ban in UP has impacted the supply of cattle in West Bengal, where cow slaughter is legal. In this context, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has said, “We are concerned about recent happenings in UP. People are afraid and many are scared about differences over caste, creed, and religion. We are all one. ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ sirf bolna nahi hain, karna hain. We have to do it, to make it meaningful. A government has to be for all. We need to safeguard our constitution and allow it to guide."

In reaction to her stance on cow slaughter, a BJP youth worker in Bengal has threatened her by announcing a bounty on her of Rs 11 lakh. Yogesh Varshney, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, was on camera threatening her and accusing her of a police crackdown on a rally. The rally in question was a Hanuman Jayanti rally 180 km from Kolkata.

All riled up about the bounty announced on the West Bengal Chief Minister, Jaya remarked, "How dare somebody talk like this, especially against a woman? It is the CM you are threatening. Is this how you are going to be protecting the women in your country?"

According to media outlets, a counter offer on the bounty announced by Yogesh was made by a Muslim cleric from West Bengal. Known for issuing fatwas against political leaders like Narendra Modi, the cleric offered a Rs 22 lakh bounty for Yogesh's head.

Jaya's remarks need to be taken seriously, for the cows have definitely received far more attention than women's issues in recent times.