Bengal’s BJP Chief Believes Indian Cow Milk Is Yellow Because it ‘Contains Gold’

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bhopal, Pragya Thakur, claims that cow urine cures cancer and Rajasthan's Education Minister Vasudev Devnani believes that the animal considered sacred for Hindus is capable of pumping out oxygen into the atmosphere, West Bengal’s BJP President Dilip Ghosh has a fresh new take: he believes that the reason cow milk is yellow in India is because it contains gold.

According to The Indian Express, Ghosh said, “Desi cows have a hump on their back. Foreign breeds do not have humps and their backs are plain like that of a buffalo. The hump has 'Swarna Nari' (gold artery). 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 Ganges.”

Twitter users are tripping on this statement, making jokes on everything from how cow milk can save our failing economy to busting the myth by revealing that the yellow colour is caused by a pigment called Beta-carotene and not, well, gold.

But it gets even better. He also went on to say that foreign cows, unlike the Indian variety are actually aunties. "The breeds of cows that we bring from abroad are not cows. They are a kind of 'janwar' (beast). These foreign breeds don't sound like cows. Those are not our gaumata (holy cow) but our aunties. It is not good for the country if we worship such aunties," he continued.

Ghosh's comment comes just weeks after BJP minister in Goa, Michael Lobo, suggested cows in the coastal state were becoming "non-vegetarian" and that they would be sent for "treatment".

Meanwhile, Ghosh also made other inflammatory remarks, saying that if people could eat cows, they should also start eating dog meat and not discriminate between the animals. “There are educated people 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.

The politician known for his controversial comments, who once even asked his party workers to beat up opposition party Trinamool Congress’ workers, also took digs at the police force in Bengal, saying, “Thousands of our workers are been given false cases and thrown in jail by police. I tell them, we are keeping a watch and noting 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 our workers suffered."

Looks like Ghosh really needs a reminder that sometimes, silence can be golden.

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