Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, the NDA government is committed to cow protection. <br/><br/>He said that the government has taken several effective steps for the protection of cow during the last three years of the present regime. He was Replying to a brief debate on a private member bill on Cow Protection in the Rajya Sabha. <br/><br/>Describing the livestock as the backbone of rural economy of the country, he said milk processing plants have been set up in different states.The bill was moved by nominated member Dr Subramanian Swamy under Private Members' Legislative Business.<br/><br/>The bill aims at creating an authority to ensure the stabilization of cow population and ban of cow slaughter. The bill also seeks to provide for deterrent punishment including death penalty for cow slaughter in extreme cases. <br/><br/>Earlier, speaking on the bill, Dr Swamy said the preservation and ban on cow slaughter are the Constitutional duties of the government. <br/><br/>Explaining the rationale behind the cow protection, he said the practice of beef eating was not prevalent even during Mughal period. He said it was the British who began the practice. Dr Swamy said modern science has shown the multiple uses of cow milk, urine and cow-dung. Anand Bhaskar Rapolu of the Congress said that cow protection should not be made a political agenda. He said Dr Swamy, who is an active member of BJP, should have impressed upon the government to take all states on board for cow protection. He alleged that the BJP member is trying to divert the real issue of cow health in the name of cow protection. He suggested that the government should address the issue of farmers in cow rearing. <br/> Later after the Agriculture Minister's assurance , Dr Swamy withdrew the bill.