Mahamandleshwar Swami Akhileshwaranand Giri, a former VHP office-bearer turned Madhya Pradesh govt official​ on Monday said that “the third world war will start over a cow.’’ Giri is the chairman of executive council of the Madhya Pradesh Gaupalan Evam Pashudhan Samvardhan Board and the first religious person to hold the post.

India is the only country where cattle is reared and is also a source of finance for many, if that gets affected it might lead to resentment among different groups," he told ANI.

After recent attacks by cow vigilantes on Dalits, PM Modi spoke at two different occasions condemning the incidents and appealing the state governments to not spare the guilty.

Commenting on the attacks, Giri told The Indian Express that while it was natural for gau rakshaks to get emotional on seeing dead or injured cows, they must not take the law in their hands. However, he also urged for states to pass stricter anti-cow slaughter laws to prevent smuggling of cattle.

He also claimed that the Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has agreed to start a Gau Mantralaya (cow ministry). His other suggestions included asking the animal husbandry department to term their inspections as a 'gaumata darshan’ and also that the cow protection board should be allotted at least Rs 100 crore, calling the present Rs 18 crore as meagre.