New Delhi: Ignoring the laugh riot over it on social media, former Rajasthan High Court judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma has quoted the Puranas to try and justify his much-ridiculed claim that peacocks are celibate.

“You can consult any scientist or those involved in animal husbandry. More importantly, it is written in our holy books that peacock is a brahmachari,” Sharma told CNN-News18 anchor Zakka Jacob in an interview on Thursday. When asked for the scientific basis of his statement, he said, “It’s written in Brahma Purana, which is thousands of years old.”

When pointed out that puranas are a part of mythology and not a scientific journal, Justice Sharma responded: “Science comes below mythology.”

Justice Sharma had first made the "brahmachari peacock" claim on Wednesday, the day he retired, while justifying his order recommending that the cow should be made the national animal.

Asking the anchor to read his 139-page judgment which advised central government to make cow the national animal, Sharma said his judgement has been confirmed by the Supreme Court.

He, however, was quick to add that making cow the national animal was only a “suggestion” and it was “not binding” on the central government.

When asked for a rationale behind this, he said, “Cow milk has several benefits. If we don’t get milk, how will we survive? And what do other countries know about our culture of milk, mawa and milk-based sweets like kheer?”

Justice Sharma said cow milk was also needed for ‘Abhishek’ of the statues of Hindu gods in temples. “Thousands of litres of milk goes to worship of gods only,” he said.

“We can’t stop people from doing so. So, rather than stopping them, we must produce more milk. How can we hurt their sentiments? And why shouldn’t there be Abhishek?”

He said not only cow milk but cow urine and cow dung were also very beneficial.

On a question around the beef ban debate, Justice Sharma said, “I am not a political man. I cannot reply on beef.”