Why Congress and Zoho's Sridhar Vembu are Sparring Over Cow Urine Claims

A political row has erupted after Congress mocked IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti over his past remarks on cow urine following his Padma Shri award. Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu defended Kamakoti, calling Cong's criticism 'slavish colonial mindset'.

Image Credit : X

Congress and Zoho founder clash over cow urine research claims

A fresh political controversy has broken out on social media after the Congress party and Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu exchanged sharp remarks over claims related to cow urine and cow dung research. The dispute centres on the Padma Shri award given to IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti and his earlier statements on the alleged medicinal value of cow urine.

The row has quickly escalated into a public war of words on X, drawing reactions from political workers, scientists, and the wider public.

Congress mocks Padma Shri awardee V Kamakoti

The controversy began when the Kerala unit of the Congress party mocked IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti after he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest civilian honours. The party highlighted Kamakoti’s past remarks on cow urine while speaking about indigenous knowledge systems and organic farming.

Congress shared a video of Kamakoti reacting to the award and sarcastically congratulated him for what it called his 'bleeding edge research' on cow urine. The post suggested that his work had helped take 'gomutra to the world stage'.

Congratulations to V Kamakoti on receiving the honour. The nation recognises your bleeding edge research on Cow Urine at IIT Madras, taking Gomutra to world stage. https://t.co/PjZcZ3ZRHD

— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) January 26, 2026

This post triggered strong reactions and reopened debate around traditional practices, science, and public honours.

Image Credit : google

Sridhar Vembu steps in to defend IIT Madras director

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, came out strongly in support of Kamakoti. Vembu criticised the Congress party for what he described as a “slavish colonial mindset”.

According to Vembu, such thinking assumes that subjects linked to Indian traditions, including cow dung and cow urine, are automatically unscientific and not worthy of serious research.

He said he was defending Kamakoti on scientific grounds, not political ones.

Vembu claims cow dung and urine have scientific value

In his posts, Vembu stated that cow dung and cow urine contain a rich and unique microbiome. He argued that this microbiome could be useful for humans and deserves proper scientific study.

He also said that if top global institutions like Harvard or MIT were to publish research on the same topic in the future, critics would likely accept it without question.

Professor Kamakoti works in deep tech: micro-processor design. He is the Director of IIT-Madras, the best technological institution in India. He serves in the NSAB. 

He richly deserves the honour.

I have defended him on scientific grounds and I will do so again: cow dung and… https://t.co/F5U1A1Kh42

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) January 26, 2026

Vembu suggested that rejecting such research ideas outright reflects mental dependence on Western approval rather than open scientific thinking.

Image Credit : X

Congress dares Vembu to invest his money

The Kerala Congress unit responded sharply to Vembu’s defence. The party challenged him to put his money where his mouth is and fund proper research into cow urine and cow dung.

In a strongly worded tweet, Congress said that if cow urine could truly help cure serious diseases like cancer, then such research would be a major gift to the world. The party asked why Vembu’s company had not invested in this area if he believed so strongly in it.

Congress recalls Covid-19 claims and raises doubts

Congress also referred to the Covid-19 pandemic, stating that many fraudsters had made false claims about curing the virus using cow dung and cow urine. The party questioned what the outcome of those claims had been.

It further asked why research focus should be limited only to cow waste, sarcastically suggesting that waste from goats, buffaloes, or even humans could also be studied if that logic was followed.

Dear @svembu,

Research is not about quoting random Western research papers out of context. What is the outcome of all this research on cow dung and urine? And why are we limited only to cow dung? What about the excreta of buffaloes, goats, or even humans?

Recently, the outcome… https://t.co/H8ajPud4SI

— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) January 26, 2026

The party stressed that while cancer research is important, it questioned why cow urine and dung were being projected as special cures without strong evidence.

Image Credit : X

Kamakoti’s earlier remarks remain at centre of debate

The row has once again brought attention to remarks made by V Kamakoti last year, when he spoke about the possible benefits of cow urine during discussions on traditional knowledge systems and organic farming.

At the time, his comments drew heavy criticism from opposition parties and rationalist groups, who accused him of promoting unproven ideas. Supporters, however, argued that traditional practices should not be dismissed without research.

What studies say about cow dung and urine in modern research today

Scientific studies have looked at cow dung and cow urine mostly in agriculture and lab tests, not as proven cures for disease. Research shows cow urine can act as a growth enhancer and antifungal agent against plant pathogens in lab tests and improve plant nutrient levels when mixed with soil or compost.

Some studies also found antibacterial activity in cow urine distillates in lab settings. Cow dung has been shown to affect soil microbes and plant growth positively and may have antimicrobial compounds in extracts, but this does not prove it works as medicine in humans.

Image Credit : our own

Cow urine debate highlights science versus belief divide

The ongoing exchange reflects a deeper divide between modern scientific standards and traditional belief systems. While Congress has questioned the credibility and usefulness of such research, Vembu has insisted that science should remain open to all ideas, including those rooted in Indian traditions.

As the debate continues online, it remains unclear whether it will lead to any real scientific studies or remain a political and ideological clash.