Peacocks are celibate, says Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma who wants cow to be national animal [VIDEO]

Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma, the Rajasthan High Court judge who was in the news on Wednesday, May 31, for saying that cow should be declared the Indian national animal, made headlines once again when he stated that the peacock is the national bird because it is "celibate".

"Peacock too has his qualities. He is a life-long celibate. He does not indulge in sex with peahen. The peahen gives birth after it gets impregnated with the tears of the peacock. A peacock or a peahen is then born... Lord Krishna used peacock's feather for celibacy of the bird," Sharma said during an interview with the media.

Also read: Life imprisonment for those guilty of cow slaughter: Gujarat Assembly

He made the comment while trying to explain why the cow deserves the national animal status. He said that just like peacock is celibate, in the same way a cow too has divine qualities. Sharma also added that he has quoted all the Vedas — Rigveda, Atharvaveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda — and even Mahabharata and Ramayana, to highlight the significance of the cow in his 140-page verdict.

"There is no substitute for cow milk. We live on it. A cow is useful even after the death. We need its urine for medicinal purposes. Its bones are useful even for tantric purpose," explained the judge who retired on Wednesday. He further stated that he had made the suggestions from his soul.

Earlier in the day, he had recommended that people found guilty of cow slaughter should be given life term.

Rajasthan, which is the only state in India that has a ministry for cow protection, has often been the centre stage of violence by self-styled cow vigilantes. In April, a Muslim man was lynched by cow-protection vigilantes in the Alwar district of the state.

Violence in the guise of cow vigilantism has been on the rise for the past few months and led the Supreme Court to issue notices to six states, including Rajasthan, to ban the miscreants.

Watch the video of Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma's interview here: