India's BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi defends cow urine's antibacterial claims amid political controversy

BJP Member of Parliament Sudhanshu Trivedi asserted that cow urine (gomutra) possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties that have been recognised internationally and even patented in the United States and the United Kingdom. He made the remarks in response to a criticism by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had called IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti a “cow‑urine expert” after Kamakoti spoke about the substance’s medicinal value at a Chennai event.

Scientific commentary notes that laboratory studies have observed limited antimicrobial activity of cow‑urine distillate under controlled conditions, but the evidence does not constitute proven medical efficacy. Academics such as Prof. Krishnamurthy V Subramanian have defended the right to investigate the claim, likening it to historic scientific ideas from Ramanujan and Kekulé, and urging evaluation based on evidence rather than origin.