Demanding Cow Be Named 'Rashtra Mata', 8 Drink Pesticide In Gujarat

Rajkot: Eight men in Gujarat drank pesticide during a protest in Gujarat calling for the cow to be declared "rashtra mata" (mother of the nation). One of the men has died, the police said. Three are reported in critical condition in hospital.

The "gau bhakts" or cow worshippers consumed the poison at a rally outside a government office in Rajkot on Thursday.

The cow protection activists reportedly said that they were also upset at the slaughter of cows in different parts of the country.

Senior police officer Kalpesh Chavda was quoted by news agency Press Trust of India as saying that an investigation will determine how the men managed to drink pesticide though the police was present at the protest and had been alerted about a possible suicide attempt.

Cow slaughter and the consumption of beef are banned in Gujarat, like in many other states.

"To protect cows, which are holy to us like Gods, we need to declare it the mother of the nation," said Dhaval Pandya, who participated in the protest in Rajkot, but did not drink pesticide.

Around 27 members of the same group also tried to block roads in Rajkot, but were detained, police said.