The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Kolkata has sent a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to BJP MP Maneka Gandhi for calling the organization the “biggest cheat” on Tuesday.

Radharamn Das, Vice President and Spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata, took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the development.

“Today we have sent a Rs 100 crore defamation notice to Mrs. Maneka Gandhi @Manekagandhibjp for levelling completely unfounded allegations against ISKCON,” he tweeted.

“The worldwide community of ISKCON devotees, supporters, and well-wishers is deeply pained by these defamatory, slanderous, and malicious accusations. We will not leave any stone unturned in our pursuit of justice against the fallacious propaganda against ISKCON,” the post said.

In a video that is making the rounds on social media, Ms Gandhi can be heard saying, “The biggest cheat in India today is ISKCON. They establish gaushalas, for which they get unlimited benefits from the government to run them. They get huge land—everything. I just visited their Anantput Gaushala. Not a single dry cow is present. All are dairies. There is not a single calf. It means all of them were sold. ISKCON is selling all its cows to the butcher.”

She further adds, “They say their entire life is dependent on milk… Probably no one has sold as many cattle to butchers as they did. If these people can do it, what about others?”

ISKCON has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and “defamatory.” In a statement, the organization said, “We are shocked and saddened by the baseless and defamatory allegations made by Ms. Maneka Gandhi against ISKCON. We have absolutely no connection to the slaughter industry, and we have never sold any cows to the butcher. Our gaushalas are run with compassion and dedication, and we provide the best possible care to all the cows in our care.”

ISKCON has also said that it will pursue legal action against Gandhi for her defamatory remarks.

The matter is currently under investigation.