Need to challenge govt that treats cow as property: Swami Avimukteshwaranand
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Jaunpur (PTI): Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Saturday said "today's ruler does not consider the cow a mother but property", and asserted that it had become necessary to challenge such an approach.
The seer made the remarks after arriving in Jaunpur and visiting the ashram of sage Yamdagni on the banks of the Gomti River, where he performed prayers.
He said a major campaign for cow protection would be launched in Lucknow on March 11 and invited Yogi Adityanath to join the initiative.
The Shankaracharya said a 40-day deadline had earlier been given to declare the cow as 'Rajya Mata' and impose a complete ban on cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh, which would end on March 11, after which the agitation would be intensified.
Targeting the state government, the Shankaracharya said the cow has traditionally been revered as a mother in Indian culture and Sanatan tradition, but the present dispensation was treating it merely as property.
"In such a situation, it has become necessary to challenge the ruler," he said.
He said the land of Jaunpur has been associated with sage Yamdagni and Parashurama, adding that traditions of cow protection and service had long been linked to the banks of the Gomti river.
Referring to mythology, he said sage Yamdagni had served and protected a cow at the same place, and when a king forcibly took it away, Parashurama stood against the injustice and retrieved it.
The Shankaracharya said saints were duty-bound to speak the truth and oppose injustice for the protection of society and religion. He added that after seeking the blessings of sage Yamdagni, he had resolved to raise his voice against injustice.
The seer left for Lucknow after offering prayers at several temples in Varanasi, including the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and Chintamani Ganesh Temple.
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Search on for missing crew member after 2 US planes go down in dramatic turn to Iran war
Dubai (AP): The search is on for one missing US service member while another was rescued after two US warplanes went down in separate incidents including the first shoot-down since the Iran war began nearly five weeks ago.
The incidents occurred just two days after President Donald Trump said in a national address that the US has “beaten and completely decimated Iran”.
One fighter jet was shot down in Iran, officials said. A US crew member from that plane was rescued, but a second was missing, and a US military search-and-rescue operation was underway.
Separately, Iranian state media said a US A-10 attack aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf after being struck by Iranian defense forces.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, said it was not clear if the aircraft crashed or was shot down.
The war now entering its sixth week is destabilising economies around the world as Iran responds to the US and Israeli attacks by targeting the Gulf region's energy infrastructure and tightening its grip on oil and natural gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
