Bhopal: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti has sought an assurance from Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh that the Congress would support in Parliament a Bill on banning cow slaughter all over the country.

Bharti wanted to know if the Chief Minister, who had written a letter on the issue to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, would also write a similar missive to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

She was speaking at a function where Singh dedicated to people Shrikrishna Gaushala near Tarawali temple, 35 km from Bhopal, on March 5 night.

Swami Satyamitranand from Haridwar, who was the chief guest at the function, praised the good work done by state government for cow protection under Singh's leadership.

This prompted Bharti to say that the Swami "should not play politics and refrain from praising Singh".

Responding to the BJP leader's remark, the Swami said, "The cows did not belong either to the BJP or the Congress but to the nation and all should make collective efforts to protect cows."

Singh said his government is committed to the protection of cows and denied that the state Youth Congress had issued any pamphlet containing derogatory slogans against the Prime Minister.

The state government has made a Budgetary provision of Rs 1.50 crore this year for protection of cows, Singh said, adding his government would extend all possible co- operation, assistance and support to the cow sheds.

PTI