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New Delhi: The government on Friday (10 February) withdrew its appeal to celebrate 14 February i.e. Valentine’s Day as ‘Cow Hug Day’. Animal Welfare Board (AWBI) has issued an order regarding this. Earlier, the AWBI, which comes under the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, had appealed to celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day on Monday.
The AWBI order on Friday said, “As per the directions of the competent authority and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the appeal issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India to celebrate Cow Hug Day on February 14, 2023 stands withdrawn.”
A lot of resentment was seen on social media after the Animal Welfare Board of India appealed to celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day instead of Valentine’s Day. Hundreds of memes and jokes were made on social media after this decision. However, there are benefits to hugging a cow as well. The Animal Welfare Board exemplified that hugging a cow would bring “emotional richness” and increase “individual and collective happiness”.
Leaders also made fun of the decision
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) on Friday mocked the ‘Cow Hug Day’ initiative and took a dig at PM Narendra Modi, claiming that billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani was a “Holy Cow” for the prime minister. At the same time, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen said that Cow Hug Day has been brought to divert attention from mainstream issues.
CPI(M)’s Elamaram Karim called Cow Hug Day a “ridiculous” decision and a shame for the country. Congress’s Rajni Patil had said, “I am from a farmer’s family. I hug my cow every day, not just one day and it is only to divert attention from issues like unemployment and inflation.”
