Decades ago, Mahatma Gandhi had said that ‘mother cow’ was in many ways better than the mother who gave us birth. Such sentiments, often heated, have since reiterated the importance that the cow holds in Indian politics. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coming to power in the centre, and in many states, the cow has been elevated to the status of ‘mother’ and its injection into the public psyche evokes a strong sentiment for the bovine.