Maneka Gandhi, an animal rights activist, is vocal over issues of animal welfare. (File)

New Delhi:

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is the “biggest cheat” in the country as they sell cows from their gaushalas (cowsheds) to butchers, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi said in a scathing attack on the religious organization.

The ISKCON, the most influential Krishna sect in the world, is yet to respond to the charges levelled by Ms Gandhi, a former Union minister.

Ms Gandhi, an animal rights activist, is vocal on social media over issues of animal welfare.

“ISKCON is the biggest cheat in the country. They maintain gaushalas and get benefits from the government, including vast lands,” she is heard saying in a video that has gone viral.

She then recalls her visit to ISKCON’s Anantpur Gaushala in Andhra Pradesh, where she says she couldn’t find any cow that doesn’t give milk or calves. “There was no dry cow in the entire dairy. Not a single calf was there. It means all were sold.”

A dry cow is one that has not been milked for some time.

“ISKCON is selling all its cows to the butchers. No one else does this as much they do. And they go on and sing ‘Hare Ram Hare Krishna’ on the roads. Then they say their entire life is dependent on milk. Probably, no one has sold as many cattle to the butchers as they did,” she alleges.

The ISKCON, associated with the Hare Krishna movement, has hundreds of temples and millions of devotees around the world.

The ISKCON hit the headlines a couple of months ago after one of its monks criticized Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahansa. The religious body had promptly “banned” the monk Amogh Lila Das and sent him for atonement after his comments triggered a big controversy.