Cow as national animal? Govt says no proposal received yet

Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said the preservation of cattle is a matter on which the legislature of the state has exclusive powers to legislate.

The government has received no proposal to declare the cow as India’s national animal, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

The home ministry said there was no proposal to declare the cow as the national animal. (HT file photo)

“No such proposal or demand has been received in the ministry of home affairs,” minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said in a written reply.

He was replying to a question on whether the government has received any proposal or there has been a demand in various parts of the country to declare the cow as national animal.

However, Rijiju said, under the distribution of legislative powers between the Union of India and states under Article 246(3) of the Constitution, the preservation of cattle is a matter on which the legislature of the state has exclusive powers to legislate.