Uttar Pradesh Dairy Development Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary said on Saturday that "Cow, Gita and Ganga" are identity of India.
"Cow, Gita and Ganga are identity of India," Chaudhary told .
"Our country was 'Vishwa-Guru' at time when people use to worship these three," he added.
His statement comes after the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet earlier approved the Prevention of Cow slaughter (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 to protect cow in the state.
Chaudhary said, earlier also steps were taken to prevent cow slaughtering in the state, however, he added that people continued to do so behind the doors.
"Strict punishment should be given to those involved in this," he added.
According to the Ordinance, for the first offence, a person can be jailed for one to seven years with a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh while for the second offence, the person can be imprisoned for 10-year with a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.
"The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved an ordinance, providing maximum rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh to protect cows and prevent their slaughtering," read a statement by the government.
"A person can be jailed for one to seven years with a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for putting the life of a cow in danger while for mutilation, the person can be imprisoned for 10-year with a fine up to Rs 5 lakh," the statement added.
( With inputs from ANI )