Pragya Thakur prescribes cow urine for COVID-19 prevention; calls it life-saving

Bhopal member of parliament Pragya Singh Thakur has again courted controversy, now for prescribing cow urine as a preventive medication for COVID-19. 

Pragya, whose maximum public statements create controversies, said at a programme in Bairagah of Bhopal on Sunday that she has remained safe from COVID-19 as she consumes 'gau mutra ark' (cow urine extract) every day. She added that cow urine was life-saving and urged people to rear desi gai (indigenous cow) for the purpose.

A video of Pragya's statement has gone viral on social media with netizens taking a dig at her for making 'absurd and unscientific claims'. She is known for making contentious statements that have been often termed absurd. The Congress has also termed her claim as disrespect to cow urine. 

Pragya's COVID-19 'prescription' comes close on the heels of another woman leader of BJP from Madhya Pradesh. State culture minister Usha Thakur had recently asked people to perform yagna en masse for four consecutive days at a particular time to ward off COVID-19.

Now, speaking at a programme on Sunday, Pragya said that the extract of indigenous cow's urine prevents lung infection. “I am in a lot of pain but I consume cow urine extract every day. Thus, I do not have to take any medicines for COVID-19. I am not COVID-19 infected and by God's grace, I will not be because I am using this (cow urine) medicine. But I consume it after offering prayers that you (the cow urine) is like amrit (ambrosia) for me. I am partaking you, please save my life as my life is for the nation. Cow urine is life-saving for us,” she said in Hindi.

Earlier, posters describing Pragya as 'missing' were on display in Bhopal due to her near-total absence from her parliamentary constituency during the raging COVID-19 pandemic. During Sunday's event, she called out those putting up such posters and said deemed their actions to be criminal and that they should be punished. She said that she was helping out people despite being in poor health. Her associates were also working in this direction but since the work being done was not being publicised, some people took a jab at her and said she might have gone missing.

Meanwhile, reacting to Pragya's statement vis a vis cow urine as COVID-19 preventive measure, the general secretary of MP Congress media cell, K.K. Mishra tweeted “Malegaon bomb blast accused MP Pragya Singh Thakur is saying that she consumes cow urine and therefore she did not contract COVID-19. Why are you insulting cow urine? One who is (herself) poisonous, what is COVID-19 before (her)? You have yourself become an infection for the BJP. Perhaps there is no cancer too, it might just be a lie to get bail.” 

The last sentence in Mishra's tweet comes in the context of Pragya's string of illnesses, among them cancer, for which she is under constant treatment. Her bail applications on medical grounds had however been rejected by the court before she was granted bail in 2017 after the Bombay High Court found 'prima facie no case against her'. Pragya, a key accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, was in jail for eight years.