A woman worships a cow during the Ganga Dussehra festival in Allahabad, India. File / AP

The appeal had attracted widespread criticism from political rivals and on social media.

A terse statement issued by the government-run Animal Welfare Board of India said the appeal issued on Wednesday "stands withdrawn.” Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst, said the call to hug cows had been "absolutely crazy, defying logic.”

"The decision to withdraw the government appeal was to prevent the politics of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism) from being ridiculed in the face of severe criticism from all quarters,” he said.

Young, educated Indians typically spend Valentine’s Day crowding parks and restaurants, exchanging gifts and holding parties.

The Animal Welfare Board had said that "hugging cows will bring emotional richness and increase individual and collective happiness.” Devout Hindus, who worship cows as holy, say the Western holiday goes against traditional Indian values.

In recent years, Hindu hard-liners have raided shops selling Valentine's Day items, burned cards and gifts, and chased hand-holding couples out of restaurants and parks, insisting that the day promotes promiscuity. Hindu nationalist groups such as Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal say such raids help reassert a Hindu identity.

The cow has long been embedded in the Hindu psyche and is deeply respected by many, much like one's mother. Most states in India have banned cow slaughter.

Associated Press