A week after holy cow debate, miscreant smears cow-dung on Pattabhi's face

The incident occurred, around 2:00 pm, when the lecturer of University College was standing outside Dhanyashree Hotel at Pumpwell, after having lunch along with the other lecturers.

It is learnt that the miscreant, who came on a motorbike advanced towards Mr Somayaji and smeared cow dung on his face. He had brought the cow dung in a plastic cover.

Mr Somayaji, later speaking to media persons, held 'Sangh Parivar' responsible for the act. “This might be the act of Sangh Parivar miscreants”, he said. A case has been registered at Kankanadi Police Station.

The Debate

The attack comes a week after Mr Somayaji was engaged in a heated debate over the issue of cow slaughter with Sri Rajashekarananda Swami of Vajradehi mutt Swami on a live TV channel.

Swamiji had taken serious objection to Mr Somayaji using the word 'goondagiri' for those who chase the cattle-laden truck and take law into their hands.

The Vajradehi seer was repeatedly asking the lecturer to take back the word 'goondagiri', but the lecturer was adamant that he cannot find any better word for those people who take law into their hands.

Mr Somayaji had also mentioned that during such acts of moral policing the activists of the Hindutva organisations rob mobile phones and money from the drivers and the cattle traders.

In the debate he had clarified: “I don't eat beef or any other meat. But there are croers of people for whom it is a cheap and nutritional food. So nobody has the right to curb the right to food of the people”. It is also a source of nutrition for the people in the Indian military, he added.

'Hindu blood boils'

In reply Swamiji said: “Cow is sacred to crores of Hindus who worship it. The animal has multiple uses for human beings. Its panchagavya is sacred. It is but natural that Hindus get agitated when they see cow slaughtering going on before their own eyes”.

The seer went on to claim that the blood of the Hindus boils when they see their sacred animals being hoarded into the truck and driven to slaughterhouses. “The slaughtering of the animal is a punishable offence under the law. Unfortunately, there is lacuna in the law which allows people to take advantage. Since the law has failed to protect the cows, Hindu organisations have taken it upon themselves to stop violation of law. There is nothing wrong in what these Hindu groups are doing. Since police are not able to take action, we have to intervene and help in implementation of the law”, he said.