We will investigate Kerala jumbo’s death: Javadekar

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 4

Amid furore over the tragic death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala, a political blame game has also ensued after senior BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi termed Malappuram, a district with Muslim majority, “India’s most violent district”.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “This is not an Indian culture to feed crackers and kill. We will not leave any stone unturned to investigate properly and nab the culprit(s).”

The BJP is now being accused of “communalising” and using the incident, the genesis of which, many say, is essentially man-animal conflict, for “political gains”.

The elephant died in Velliyar river, which borders Palakkad and Malappuram districts, its detractors say.

Meanwhile, according to forest officials, no one would have fed firecracker-filled pineapple to the elephant. It must have found it lying somewhere. “Pineapples and other fruits filled with firecrackers are used as a snare to catch wild boars that destroy crops. It is cruel, wrong and illegal but such incidents do happen at places where wild animals create problems for farmers. The legal way to get rid of wild boars is long and tortuous,” they say.

Several BJP leaders used Maneka Gandhi’s statement to target Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in Kerala where the party is trying to make inroads. “It is a murder. Malappuram is very famous for incidents like this. It is the most violent district in the whole of India. For instance, they throw poison on roads so that 300-400 birds and dogs die at one time. Kerala Government has not taken any action in Malappuram,” Maneka Gandhi said.

Vijayan said an investigation was under way and the state government would take strict action against the culprits.