On Friday, India's government dropped its call for people to celebrate Valentine's Day next week as "Cow Hug Day" to promote Hindu values.
Many critics of the cow hug day appeal expressed their disapproval of the government appeal online.
The government-run Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) released a brief statement saying the Wednesday plea "stands withdrawn," according to ABC News.
A political expert named Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay called the proposal of cow hug day as bizarre and "defying logic." He stated the official request was withdrawn to protect Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) from widespread criticism.
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Young Indians Prefer To Celebrate Valentine's Day
Many Indians, especially the young and the educated, celebrate Valentine's Day by going out to restaurants and parks to socialize and exchange presents.
The AWBI made its first-ever call to all cow lovers around the nation to observe a national "Cow Hug Day." A previous statement from the board said that the Vedic traditions were on the edge of "extinction" because of the rising influence of Western culture, per Zee News.
In an inclusive, secular country recognized for its diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has been promoting a Hindu agenda. Of the almost 1.4 billion people, nearly 80% are Hindus. Muslims make up 14% of the population, while the majority of the remaining 6% are Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains.
Cows have traditionally had a special place in Hindu culture; many devotees treat them with the same reverence they do their mothers. The slaughter of cows has been outlawed in the majority of Indian states, per the Seattle Times.
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