Aligarh, Jul 3 (PTI): A body of Muslim intellectuals today said it would extend full support to any proposal of the Centre for banning cow slaughter and declaring cow as the national animal.

"Our organisation has passed a resolution welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent statement condemning the lynching of innocent people in the name of 'gau raksha' (cow protection) in different parts of the country," Director of Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis (FMSA) Jasim Mohammad said here.

"We will extend full support to any proposal of the Centre for banning cow slaughter and declaring cow as the national animal of India," he said.

Jasim said the repeated incidents of lynching of innocent people posed a serious threat to the right to life and the right to earn a living for a large section of the populace.

"Every Muslim in the country was interested in ensuring protection to the cow because of religious sentiments of the majority community. However, the lynching of Muslims involved in buffalo trade on any other pretext is now posing a serious threat to the internal security in the country," he said.

He urged the prime minister to take all necessary steps to ensure law and order to stop lynching incidents.