RAIPUR: More than 20 cows have died and several others have fallen ill in Tuta village, Naya Raipur, sparking criticism from the opposition BJP against the Congress government for cow protection.
The incident took place at the venue that recently hosted the Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club program attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 2.
Subsequent to the incident, a team of veterinary doctors arrived in Tuta village to investigate the cause of death. While villagers claimed that the cows died from consuming stale food, veterinary doctors are actively probing the situation. Villagers allege that a substantial quantity of unused food packets initially intended for people during the event were later offered to the cows, leading to the fatalities.
The examination of the sick cows is currently underway, and after that, the cause of death for the cattle will be determined, the veterinary doctors attending the cows said.
On the other hand, the villagers and cattle owners have held stale food abandoned at the program venue and their consumption by the cows as the main reasons behind the deaths. Villagers claimed that two to three truck-full packaged food, which were stale and abandoned at the program venue, were eaten by the cows.
On September two, a Rajiv Yuva Mitan Convention was organized at the location where this incident occurred.
Meanwhile, the deaths of nearly two dozen cows have heated up politics in the state. The BJP has raised questions and targeted the Congress, while Minister Kawasi Lakhma has stated that those found guilty will face action. It is being reported that several cows fell ill due to consuming contaminated food.
Senior BJP leaders Brijmohan Agrawal and Ajay Chandrakar said that the Congress, which talks about cows and cow shelters, has been exposed by Rahul Gandhi's visit.
Agrawal said that Rahul Gandhi came to Raipur to participate in the Rajiv Yuva Mitan program and left after taking the lives of cows. Food leftover from Rahul's program was thrown in the open, and this led to the death of the cows. He asked if Bhupesh Baghel could answer this.
BJP state president Arun Sao said, "The Congress government is anti-Hindu and anti-cow. The arrogant coalition members are disrespecting the Sanatan Dharma, and Congress is aligning with them. There are daily deaths of cows happening here in such large numbers, and the responsibility for the death of so many cows lies with the Bhupesh government."
