An Indian MP from Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sparked outrage after claiming that drinking cow urine daily protects her from coronavirus. Pragya Thakur also alleged that cow urine can cure lung infections caused by the virus.
Thakur made the comments at a party gathering on Monday, as India battles a severe second wave with daily death tolls around 4,000. 'If we have desi gau mutra (urine from an indigenous cow) every day, then it cures lung infection from Covid,' she told the crowd. 'I am in deep pain but I take cow urine every day. So now, I don't have to take any medicine against coronavirus and I don't have coronavirus.'
Political figures condemned the remarks as 'unscientific and illogical'. Kunwar Danish Ali, an MP from the Bahujan Samaj Party, said: 'What is more disturbing is the unscientific and illogical statement from a BJP MP that drinking cow urine saved her from Covid. This will ultimately discourage people from vaccination and invite more devastation.'
Thakur's claims come despite her being admitted to Delhi's AIIMS hospital in December 2020 for Covid-19 symptoms, according to NDTV. Two years ago, she also claimed she had cured herself of breast cancer by drinking cow urine, though a surgeon later said she had undergone a bilateral mastectomy.
The Indian government has previously urged people not to cover themselves in cow dung and urine as a Covid treatment, warning it could spread the disease faster. Thakur's comments have drawn widespread criticism, with many calling them an insult to healthcare workers.
