Controversial Indian MP, Pragya Thakur has been slated for her “disturbing” claims of preventing disease and contracting COVID-19. The Bharatiya Janata Party politician said people can save themselves from the coronavirus by drinking the urine of a cow.
As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, Thakur represents Bhopal, and claimed drinking cow pee protects her from COVID. She has been slammed for her remarks which outraged politicians say, “invite more devastation” by “discouraging people from getting the jab”.
Thakur hailed it a “life-saver”, despite repeated calls from doctors warning against the use of excrement for COVID infections. The country currently continues to be battered by a deadly second wave, which has had 25,486,028 cases, according to Worldometer.
During a party gathering on Monday, Thakur said, “If we have desi gau mutra (urine from an indigenous cow) every day, then it cures lung infection from COVID”. I am in deep pain, but I take cow urine every day. So now, I don’t have to take any medicine against coronavirus, and I don’t have coronavirus. Cow urine is a life-saver.”
Thakur’s comments have been branded as an “insult” to healthcare workers who are grappling with soaring numbers of cases and deaths. Kunwar Danish Ali, an MP for the Bahujan Samaj Party said, “Losing 50 more doctors yesterday to COVID-19 is so disturbing.
“What is more disturbing is the unscientific and illogical statement from a BJP MP that drinking cow urine saved her from Covid. This will ultimately discourage people from vaccination and invite more devastation.”
TRS Party Social Media Convenor, Jagan Patameedi added, “Statements like these are an insult to all virologists, frontline workers who are doing everything beyond their capacity to save lives.” Despite her whacky claim, Thakur was admitted to a hospital in Delhi back in December with Covid symptoms, reports NDTV. The controversial MP sparked previous outrage when claiming her cancer was cured by mixing cow urine and other products from the animal.
Indian Medical Association lead Dr JA Jayalal added that there is “no concrete scientific evidence” in Thakur’s claims. When the pandemic reached staggering highs in the country, hundreds of Hindu worshippers have used drank from cups of cow urine in a bid to ward off the coronavirus.
One attendee of the party in Delhi said participants also bathed in cow dung and avoid “English medicine”. Many Hindus consider the cow sacred, and some drink cow urine, believing it can be used as a medicine – and may even cure cancer.
