Madhya Pradesh To Launch Campaign Against 'Makhanchor' Tag For Lord Krishna

The Madhya Pradesh government will launch a campaign aimed at urging people to not call Lord Krishna 'Makhanchor', with the understanding that stories of the Hindu God stealing butter denoted rebellion and not theft.

Speaking on Janmashtami, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said Lord Krishna's childhood act of breaking butter pots was actually a stand against his maternal uncle and tyrant ruler Kansa.

"There were thousands of cows in Gokul, and butter from there went to Kansa's house. Krishna told his fellow cowherds: eat your butter, break the pot, but don't let it reach our enemy. This was not theft but a message of resistance. Krishna's story is about love and protest against injustice, not about stealing," he said.

The chief minister also said that Lord Krishna was brought up in a prosperous household and would not need to steal. He always ate the butter openly, ensuring people saw it as a symbolic act rather than a theft.

The state's culture department has started work on the campaign. "People will be told that butter-breaking was Krishna's rebellion against Kansa's policies. Saints and mahants have also agreed to drop the 'makhanchor' tag," the chief minister's cultural adviser Shriram Tiwai said.

The department plans to engage storytellers, priests and religious leaders, along with spreading the CM's message through different cultural platforms.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress leader Umang Singhar accused the government of rewriting mythology for political mileage. "The Chief Minister wants to change the leela of Lord Krishna and write his own history. We too believe God did not steal butter, but why doesn't the CM explain how he stole the people's mandate to form his government? Such campaigns are only meant to distract from real issues," he charged.