Maneka Gandhi blasts Kerala govt over elephant deaths, alleges inaction

Lok Sabha MP and vocal animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi came down hard on Kerala government for its alleged inaction over abhorrent death of a pregnant elephant due to consumption of firecracker-stuffed pineapple fed to her by a local in Mallapuram. 

former union minister took to Twitter and said that Mallapuram is "kwn for its intense animal activity" and yet authorities did t take any action to curb cases of cruelty towards animals. She alleged that action has been taken against a single poacher or wildlife killer which has allowed m to carry on with ir acts.

READ | Kerala: Pregnant Elephant Dies In River After Being Fed Pineapple Filled With Crackers

600 elephants killed

Maneka Gandhi also attached a document along with her tweet claiming that "About 600 elephants are killed by temples by breaking ir legs, beating and starving m and orwise by private owners by insuring m and n deliberately drowning m or giving m gangrene by putting rusted nails on m." Gandhi said she talked to department almost every week about such cases of torture towards elephant and "y do absolutely thing".

MP also posted telephone numbers of state forest minister as well as or officials urging concerned citizens to reach out to m. 

READ | Netizens Share Art To Express Anger Over Horrific Killing Of Pregnant Elephant In Kerala

Cruel animal abuse

pregnant elephant died in Silent Valley Forest in Malappuram after a local allegedly fed her a pineapple stuffed with crackers.  incident showing an act of human cruelty took place on May 27 while elephant was standing in water and forest officials said that it died standing in river Velliyar after it suffered an injury in its lower jaw.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Mannarkkad forest range officer said that an FIR has been lodged against unidentified people under relevant sections of Wild Life Protection Act over incident.

READ | Pregnant Elephant's Death In Kerala: Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan Express Despair & Anger

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