Meerut, May 21 -- Arshad Madani, president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, has called for the cow to be declared India's "national animal," arguing that such a move could help end mob lynchings, communal tensions, and the political exploitation of religious sentiments linked to cow protection. In a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, Madani said that since a majority of Indians regard the cow as sacred and accord it the status of a mother, the government should clarify what is preventing it from granting the animal official national status. "The majority of the people in the country not only consider the cow sacred but also accord it the status of a mother," Madani said. "It is difficult to understand what political compulsion is preventing the government from declaring it the 'national animal'." The cleric said his organisation would welcome such a decision if it resulted in a permanent solution to violence carried out in the name of cow protection and prevented the loss of innocent lives. "We would, in fact, welcome the decision if the cow were declared the 'national animal' and a permanent solution to this issue were found, so that no human life is lost and religion is not exploited for political purposes," he stated. Madani also raised questions over what he described as "double standards" in the implementation and reaction to beef consumption and cow slaughter laws across different states in India. He pointed out that in several states, beef is openly sold and consumed without protests or incidents of mob violence, while tensions frequently emerge in areas with significant Muslim populations in the name of cow protection. "What is astonishing is that in some states, beef is openly sold, yet there are neither protests against it nor incidents of mob lynchings," he said. "However, in areas with a significant Muslim population, blood is shed in the name of the cow. This is not devotion; rather, it is a double standard and a political game." The Jamiat chief further linked the issue to the ongoing debate surrounding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), questioning why animal slaughter laws differ from state to state if the principle of "one nation, one law" is being advocated. Madani argued that if uniformity in laws is being promoted, then legislation related to animal slaughter should also be implemented equally across all states without discrimination. "There are many states where beef is openly consumed and no ban exists," he said, adding that even leaders from ruling parties in certain states have publicly acknowledged consuming beef. "We only want the cow to be granted the status of the 'national animal' so that this controversy may be brought to an end forever," Madani added. "Whatever law is enacted for this purpose should be implemented uniformly across all states of the country without discrimination."...