Was govt 'cow-ed' by jokes? Was it 'cow-ardice': Tharoor's dig after 'Cow Hug Day' appeal withdrawal
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday took a swipe over the Animal Welfare Board of India withdrawing its appeal to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day', asking whether the government was "cow-ed" by the jokes made at its expense or was it merely "cow-ardice".
Tharoor's dig came a day after the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) said it has withdrawn the appeal to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day' following directions from the government amid widespread criticism on social media.
Reacting to the development, Tharoor said on Twitter, "Was the Government cow-ed by the jokes made at its expense or was it merely cow-ardice?"
"My guess is the original appeal was an oral instruction: 'Valentine's Day: let them hug their guy' & the last word was misheard by a Hindu Rashtravadi as gaay!'," the former Union minister said.
The withdrawal of the appeal came just a day after Union minister Parshottam Rupala said it will be good if people respond positively to the call given by the board to celebrate February 14 as 'Cow Hug Day'.
February 14 is observed as Valentine's Day across the world.
"As directed by the Competent Authority and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying the appeal issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India for celebration of Cow Hug Day on 14th February, 2023 stands withdrawn," the board's secretary S K Dutta said in a notice posted on its website.
It was for the first time that the AWBI had appealed to cow lovers in the country to celebrate 'Cow Hug Day'.
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
