ISKCON sends Rs 100 crore defamation notice to BJP MP Maneka Gandhi over ‘biggest cheat’ remark

New Delhi: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Friday slapped a Rs 100 crore defamation notice on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi for her ‘defamatory & malicious’ remarks against the religious body.

The Rs 100 crore notice to Maneka Gandhi comes days after she described the ISCKON as ‘biggest cheat’ in the country and claimed that the organization sells cows from its gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers.

The ISKCON called out the BJP MP for her ‘slanderous, defamatory & malicious’ accusations on ‘handing over elder cows to butchers’ and said that the worldwide community linked to the religious organization was deeply ‘pained & hurt’ over such unfounded allegations.

Speaking to the media, the ISKCON vice-president Radharamn Das said, “Today, we have sent a ₹ 100-crore defamation notice to Maneka Gandhi for levelling completely unfounded allegations against ISKCON.”

Notably, the ISKCON is widely recognized as the world’s most influential Lord Krishna sect and has lakhs of followers in almost all countries, across the globe.

#WATCH | West Bengal | On BJP MP Maneka Gandhi’s remark, Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata, Radharamn Das says, “The comments of Maneka Gandhi were very unfortunate. Our devotees across the world are very hurt. We are taking legal action of defamation of Rs 100 Crores against her.… pic.twitter.com/wLkdrLLsVd

— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2023

Maneka Gandhi, the BJP MP and former Union Minister has long been vocal about animal rights and their welfare.

However, in a recent viral video, she was seen coming down heavily on the ISKCON while leveling serious allegations against it. In the undated video, she could be seen recalling an experience of her visit to ISKCON’s Anantpur Gaushala in Andhra Pradesh, where they were no calves or cows who were past the ‘milk yielding age’.

“The biggest cheat in the country is ISKCON. They established Gaushalas for which they got unlimited benefits from the government but were actually selling cows to the butchers,” Gandhi said in the viral video.

BJP Leader accusing ISKCON of selling Cows to the Butcher. If the allegation is true, I really don’t know whom to support pic.twitter.com/JaSiEy5t1h

— Joy (@Joydas) September 26, 2023