BJP state president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata. (Express File Photo: Partha Paul) BJP state president Dilip Ghosh in Kolkata. (Express File Photo: Partha Paul)

Known for his controversial remarks, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday courted fresh row, saying that desi cow’s milk contains gold and is therefore yellowish in colour. He also targeted a section of intellectuals who ate beef as a mark of protest, calling them “anti-socials” and telling them to eat dog meat too.

The remarks drew sharp reactions from senior Trinamool Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee, who called the BJP leader’s claims “insane”.

Addressing a public meeting in Burdwan, Ghosh said, “Desi cows have a hump on their back. Foreign breeds do not have a hump and their backs are plain like that of a buffalo. The hump has ‘swarna nari’. When sunlight falls on the hump, it produces gold. That is why the milk of desi cow is yellowish or lightly golden. It contains gold. If one drinks only desi cow milk it is enough for sustenance. There are many religious men who live by drinking cow milk and water from the Ganga.”

The BJP MP from Midnapore also targeted people for their preference for eating beef. “There are people who belong to the educative society who eat beef on the roadside. Why only cow? They can have dog meat too. Eat other animals too. It is good for health. But please eat at your home. The cow is our mother and we view cow killing as anti-social,” said Ghosh, in an apparent reference to a section of CPM leaders and intellectuals who ate beef publicly in Kolkata in 2015 to protest against “rising intolerance” in India.

Stating that “demeaning” cows and killing them is a crime in India, the BJP leader said, “We revere cows just like we revere our mothers. When we leave mother’s milk we survive on the cow’s milk. Now if anyone does harm to my mother what will I do to them? It is a heinous crime to insult, kill cows and eat beef in the holy land of India. We will look upon them as anti-socials.”

Ghosh also targeted policemen threatening to take action against those “who are filing false cases against our party workers” once the BJP comes to power.

“Thousands of our party workers are being framed in false cases and thrown in jail by the police. I tell them, we are keeping a watch and noting their names. After we come to our power, action will be taken. Even if they retire we will take money out of their pension as payment for the harassment of our workers,” said Ghosh.

Known for his off-the-cuff remarks, Ghosh was booked for hate speech in August this year when he urged BJP workers to take on Trinamool Congress workers and beat up policemen.

Reacting to Ghosh’s remarks, TMC leader and Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said it was best for him not to react to the BJP chief’s remarks.

“In my long political career, I have never responded to such a statement. This kind of statements means he is not from Bengal. The people of Bengal will be the best judge of such insane statements and will not accept such a person,” Mukherjee said.

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