Hindu beliefs mocked, Indian politician mocks IIT Madras Director with 'Gau Mutra' jibe during Lok Sabha debate
Central Delhi, Delhi, India 
27 July, 2026
Case Summary
Congress senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra appeared to mock Hindu beliefs while referring to Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and a member of the Centre's newly constituted education reform panel, as a "gau mutra expert" during a debate in Parliament. The remark was made on 28 July 2026 while she was participating in the discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. While criticising the government's education policies, Priyanka Gandhi questioned the constitution of the Nandan Nilekani-led education reform committee. Without naming Prof. Kamakoti directly, she referred to his earlier remarks regarding the purported medicinal properties of cow urine and said: "Not a single recommendation of the Radhakrishnan Committee has been implemented till date. Meanwhile, the new committee includes a former IB chief, an IT company owner and even a 'gau mutra' expert." After making the remark, Priyanka Gandhi laughed, following which several Opposition members were also seen laughing in the House. The comment referred to Prof. Kamakoti's earlier public remarks in which he had spoken about traditional beliefs concerning the medicinal properties of cow urine. Rather than addressing his academic qualifications or his role on the committee, Priyanka Gandhi invoked those remarks to describe him as a "gau mutra expert," using a practice regarded as sacred by many Hindus as the basis for ridicule. The statement drew criticism from government leaders, academicians, and members of the Hindu community, who argued that the remark not only sought to diminish the credentials of a distinguished scientist and academic administrator but also mocked beliefs associated with the sacred status of the cow in Hinduism. Critics contended that by using the phrase as a punchline to elicit laughter in Parliament, the Congress leader reduced a practice rooted in Hindu religious traditions to public ridicule. The video of the exchange was widely circulated on social media, drawing criticism from government leaders, academicians, and members of the Hindu community, who argued that it not only sought to diminish the credentials of a distinguished scientist and academic administrator but also mocked beliefs associated with the sacred status of the cow in Hinduism. Responding during the Lok Sabha debate, BJP MP Anurag Thakur accused Priyanka Gandhi of insulting a distinguished academic and objected to her remarks about Prof. V. Kamakoti. "I will answer Priyanka ji after this. The way she makes an innocent face, misleads people, smiles subtly, and even asks the Speaker to smile, she does this while speaking on serious issues. She tries to cover up the wrongdoings and failures of her own government's past," Thakur said. Referring to Prof. Kamakoti, he added, "I am saddened by the remarks she made about one of India's great scientists and professors, IIT Madras professor V. Kamakoti ji. He is our former chairman of the Advisory Intelligence Task Force. If he is associated with the RSS, there is nothing wrong with that. You should also join the RSS; you will learn some values and start thinking about the country. I thought Priyanka Gandhi ji would be better than Rahul Gandhi ji and would be slightly better than her brother. At least, she used to smile. But after the remarks she made today about the IIT Madras Director, I feel that the brother and sister are alike; they are on the same path. Perhaps they are consuming something that affects the proper functioning of the brain. Maybe they should consume cow urine instead." Thakur's response triggered further political exchanges in Parliament. While defending Prof. Kamakoti's academic credentials, he argued that Priyanka Gandhi's remarks had reduced a respected scientist to ridicule by invoking a practice regarded as sacred by many Hindus.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category selected in this case is: Hate speeches against Hindus, with the subcategory selected as: Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. In this case, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's remark was not merely a political criticism of Prof. V. Kamakoti; it also carried a clear religious dimension, as it invoked a practice that holds deep religious significance for many Hindus. By using the term "gau mutra expert" as a pejorative label to mock the professor and provoke laughter during a parliamentary debate, she went beyond challenging his views or qualifications. Instead, the remark reduced a practice rooted in Hindu religious tradition to an object of ridicule. The mockery, therefore, was directed not only at the professor but also at a belief and practice that many Hindus regard as sacred. In Hinduism, cow urine (gaumutra) and cow dung hold religious, spiritual, and medicinal significance, deeply rooted in the belief that the cow is a sacred animal. However, recently, the "gaumutra" jibe has become a frequent tool for anti-Hindu bigots, serving as a deliberate insult against the Hindu community’s reverence for the cow. This slur, often wielded by individuals or groups harbouring deep-seated animosity towards Hindu beliefs and practices, is a calculated attack on the sanctity of the cow in Hinduism, a religion where cows are considered holy. Mocking cow urine is an attempt to delegitimise and belittle the Hindu faith itself. Such remarks have been observed in statements made by those who express open hostility towards Hindus, including Pulwama terrorist Ahmed Dhar, who used the slur to denigrate Hindus while justifying violence. His remark about killing CRPF soldiers because they "drink cow urine" highlights how this slur is weaponised not only to ridicule religious practices but also to justify acts of hatred and violence. The increasing use of the "gaumutra" jibe suggests a broader agenda to normalise the mockery of Hindu religious symbols, setting the stage for more direct attacks on Hindu deities and beliefs. By trivialising or ridiculing something as sacred as cow worship, it becomes easier for those with malicious intent to escalate their rhetoric into outright abuse of Hindu Gods, a pattern that has been witnessed in recent years. This slur is not simply about targeting a practice but serves as a stepping stone towards undermining the entire Hindu faith. This incident, therefore, exemplifies clear and intentional anti-Hindu hate speech, manifesting through dehumanising slurs and deliberate denigration of Hindu belief, warranting inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker. Interestingly, Priyanka Gandhi's remark is not an isolated instance. Over the years, several Congress leaders and functionaries have used "gau mutra" as a term of derision while mocking Hindus and Hindu beliefs. Congress leader Udit Raj has previously made disparaging "gau mutra" remarks, while Lavanya Ballal, the social media coordinator of the Mahila Congress, also used the term to ridicule Hindus on social media. Similarly, Sanjukta Basu, a columnist for the Congress mouthpiece National Herald, drew criticism after making a cow urine jibe while commenting on the polio vaccination drive. Likewise, Karnataka's Congress leader Priyank Kharge courted controversy for making the derogatory, Hinduphobic ‘gaumutra’ during a Twitter spat with columnist and author Chakravarti Sulibele. Taken together, these incidents point to a recurring pattern in which a practice regarded as sacred by many Hindus is repeatedly invoked as a punchline or a pejorative to mock Hindu beliefs in political and public discourse.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
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