This came after an order of hiring professional shooters from Hyderabad to kill the animals in Mokama Tal was passed by the Ministry in a bid to save the crops from nilgais (rohi) or blue bull.
The massive culling of nilgais drew the ire of Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. Maneka said, “Don’t understand Environment Ministry’s lust for killing animals”. According to Maneka, The environment Ministry is writing letters to every state and allowing the killing of animals like wild boars, monkeys and elephants.
Maneka, who is known for her love for animals, is also an animal activist. She heads Sanjay Gandhi animal Care Centre, one of the oldest all-animal shelters in the country.
Giving a clarification on Maneka’s charges, Union Minister of Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar said, “Such permissions are given when State Governments write to us about farmers suffering due to crop damage by animals”. He added that “killings take place on the recommendation of State Governments and it’s an old law.”
In June last year, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had told media that animals which cause problems to farmers and locals like blue bull and wild boar can be declared as vermin for a short period of time. “Will give the states permission to kill these animals,” he had said.
Raising her voice against cow-slaughter Maneka had earlier called for a nation-wide online protest to ban cow-slaughter on June 1. She even voiced her protest against zoos and sought banning of zoos across the country.