Maneka, Javadekar lock horns over culling of animals

New Delhi, June 9: Two Union ministers, Maneka Gandhi and Prakash Javadekar, today locked hor ns over culling of animals with the former saying there was “lust” for killing in the environment ministry.

Javadekar, who is the minister for environment and forests, on his part defended animal culling, insisting it is done on the request of states to protect crops.

The war of words was quickly seized upon by the Opposition parties which alleged there was no teamwork or cohesion in the Modi government.

The outburst by Maneka, who holds the women and child development portfolio and is an animal rights activist, came in the wake of the recent killing of nilgai in Bihar, which she ter med “biggest ever massacre”.

Maneka said the Union environment ministry “is writing to every state government, allowing them to provide a list of animals that can be killed so that the Centre can give per mission.

“This is happening for the first time. I don’t understand this lust for killing of animals.”

However, Javadekar insisted that it was “scientific management” of animal population and the permissions for killing animals designated as ‘vermin’ were restricted to particular areas and time period.

Maneka claimed the Centre has allowed killing of nilgai in Bihar, elephants in West Bengal, monkeys in Himachal Pradesh, peacocks in Goa and wild boars in Chandrapur even when the wildlife departments of states are saying they do not wish to kill animals.