VARANASI, Jan. 31 -- Days after the Magh Mela controversy, Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Friday demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government led by the chief minister should declare the cow as 'Rajyamata' within the next 40 days as proof of commitment to the Hindu cause. If the demand is not met, he, along with a large number of seers, will hold a Sant Samagam (gathering of seers) in Lucknow on March 11 to launch a campaign on the issue, he said at a press conference at Shri Vidya Matt in Varanasi. He also sought a stop to beef exports from the state. The cow should be given the official status of Rajyamata, just as the Maharashtra government declared cows as "Rajyamata-Gomata", he said. "We are giving the government 40 days to reconsider its policies. If, within these 40 days, the cow is not granted the status of Rajyamata and exports are not stopped, we will reach Lucknow with all the seers and stage a strong protest," Avimukteshwaranand said. He claimed that Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 40% of the country's total beef exports. "You asked us for a certificate of our position and tradition - we readily handed it over to you because truth doesn't need evidence," he said, adding, "Being a Hindu is not limited to speeches or saffron robes; its test lies in cow protection and the protection of dharma." The demands come days after Avimukteshwaranand left the Magh Mela in Prayagraj on January 28 following a 10-day standoff that stemmed from him being allegedly stopped from proceeding to the Sangam in a palanquin for a holy dip on Mauni Amavasya on January 18....