Former Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan has come to the defence of IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, questioning the criticism against his statements on cow urine’s medicinal properties. Kamakoti triggered a controversy during the Pongal celebrations by claiming that Gaumutra (cow urine) has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties

“One section is saying they will eat beef as it’s their right. So when another section uses Gaumutra to cure diseases, why are they commenting?” she said, terming the backlash unwarranted, as quoted by India Today.

Kamakoti on Monday justified his statement on Gaumutra being anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory, citing scientific research. “This has been scientifically demonstrated. Journals in the United States have published the scientific evidence,” he told reporters, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Referring to a study published in Nature in June 2021, Kamakoti said the research by scientists from the Animal Biotechnology Centre and Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab of the National Dairy Research Institute identified thousands of endogenous peptides in cow urine, contributing to various bioactivities.

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Row Over IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti’s Gaumutra Remarks

The controversy erupted after a video clip of Kamakoti’s speech at the Go Samrakshana Sala event on Maatu Pongal (January 15) went viral. In the video, he narrated an anecdote about a sanyasi who reportedly recovered from a high fever after consuming Gaumutra, underscoring its potential medicinal value for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. He also spoke about the significance of organic farming and the economic importance of indigenous cattle breeds.

His remarks drew sharp criticism from several political parties and rationalist outfits. Dravidar Kazhagam called the claim “shameful” and contrary to scientific facts. DMK leader TKS Elangovan accused the Centre of attempting to “spoil education” through such assertions, PTI reported. Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Ramakrishnan demanded that Kamakoti provide proof or apologise, warning of protests otherwise. Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram denounced the statement as “pseudoscience,” calling it unbecoming of an IIT director.

DK leader Kali Poongundran countered Kamakoti’s claim, citing a study that found cow urine contains harmful bacteria, making it unfit for human consumption. Dr GR Ravindranath of the Doctors Association for Social Equality warned that consuming Gaumutra could cause bacterial infections and criticised the BJP-led Centre for promoting “superstition.”

Meanwhile, BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai slammed attempts to “politicise” Kamakoti’s remarks, praising him for his scientific contributions. He clarified that the IIT director’s comments were his “personal stand” and that he did not advocate drinking cow urine in a classroom setting.

Sources close to Kamakoti told PTI that his remarks were made in the context of threats to indigenous cow breeds and scientific studies, including Peptide profiling in cow urine reveals molecular signature of physiology-driven pathways, published in Nature.

Kamakoti took charge as IIT Madras director on January 17, 2022. He has received several accolades, including the DRDO Academy Excellence Award (2013) for contributions to scientific research and technology development.