Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's statement on Saturday over shifting of Asiatic lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh might land him in contempt of court case.
Chouhan while addressing a programme in the State Capital on Saturday had said, "We don't need more tigers as we have sufficient of them."
The Chief Minister skipped media queries when asked as to why the State is not getting Asiatic lions from Gujarat despite Supreme Court orders.
Notably, the Supreme Court in its ruling on April 15, 2013 had said that some of the Asiatic lions currently found only in the famed Gir sanctuary must be shifted to Kuno sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh within six months.
Right to Information (RTI) and wildlife activist Ajay Dubey while talking to 'The Pioneer' over the issue said, "We have already filed contempt petitions in the Supreme Court against the Gujarat Government and Government of India for not complying with the SC order over shifting of Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh. The statement of Chief Minister Chouhan also amounts to contempt of the apex court by stating that 'we don't need lions', our lawyers would bring this in the knowledge of the SC while filing contempt petition."
Dubey, who is also convenor of Transparency International (TI), further said that his organization would sit on indefinite dharna in the national Capital from the second week of November in protest against the stubborn attitude of the Gujarat Government that is not even ready to follow the SC order of shifting Asiatic lions to the State besides the GoI that has failed to compel the Gujarat Government to follow the SC order.
He said that Chouhan and his Government are deliberately doing contempt of the court just to please the party boss and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Prime Minister, Chief Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party should tell the people of the country whether or not they have faith in the rule of law and why not they abide by the decisions of the courts," he added.