When BJP worker stunned then Haryana CM Manohar Lal-You seek votes in name of mother cow but nurture Cheetahs.
A BJP worker once stunned Haryana’s then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar by saying to his face:
“You seek votes in the name of Mother Cow, but you nurture cheetahs instead.”
This was during the period when Narendra Modi had brought cheetahs from abroad to India. It is another matter that several of those cheetahs later died because of difficulties adapting to the environment.
Manohar Lal, Sirsa, cheetahs, and the sacred cow.
A poetic taunt followed:
“You show loyalty to outsiders (the cheetahs), while being cruel to your own (the cows), O beloved Manohar — do not commit such injustice.”
During one of his Jan Samvad (public interaction) programs in Sirsa, Manohar Lal found himself cornered by a party worker deeply distressed over the condition of cows in Haryana.
The worker raised an issue for which the Chief Minister appeared to have no answer. Khattar merely smiled awkwardly, flashing his teeth, and tried to brush aside the serious concern.
At the time, the imported cheetahs were receiving special care and attention, while, according to the worker, cows in Haryana were dying due to shortage of fodder. Unable to hold back, the BJP worker said:
“Fine, take care of the cheetahs — but spare some thought for Mother Cow as well. She is dying for lack of fodder.”
Khattar seemed momentarily speechless. But the worker did not stop there. He delivered another sharp line:
“We ask for votes in the name of Mother Cow…”
At that moment, the Chief Minister appeared completely trapped, with no convincing response to offer.