In an apparent attempt to provoke religious tensions, two motorcyclists threw a packet in front of the Radhey Shyam Gau Seva Sadan cow shelter in Bazpur on Friday night and challenged the owners to do whatever they can to stop illegal slaughter of cows. When the packet was opened, it was found to be full of severed ears of cows dripping blood. On Sunday morning, a delegation of sadhus and trustees of cow shelters met the Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, with MlA Ganesh Joshi and expressed dissatisfaction and rage towards the policies of the present Government. According to Uttarakhand Gau Seva Aayog member Gauri Maulekhi, upon close inspection, it was found that each ear has a metallic tag with a number, fixed to it.
These are likely to be the tags fixed on the cows sold at the recent Marchula Animal Fair, organised in Marchula in December 2014. “This cattle fair was scrutinised by a team notified by the Government in 2009 and it was found that cattle sold here were taken to Uttar Pradesh illegally for slaughter. Despite all the questions raised and attempts made by religious and social organisations, former MlA and adviser to the CM, Ranjit Rawat not only helped organise the cattle fair but also inaugurated it. Such blatant encouragement has caused the buyers of animals at this cattle fair and the organiser of the fair to launch such an abuse on the cow shelter in Bazpur. Similar cow shelters, recognised by the Animal Welfare Board and Gau Seva Aayog of Uttarakhand used to receive token grants for construction and maintenance during the last regime but it has completely been stopped by the present CM,” she averred.
On Sunday morning, a delegation comprising members of the religious fraternity and trustees of cow shelters met the CM with MlA Ganesh Joshi and expressed dissatisfaction and rage towards the policies of the present government. Maulekhi demanded an inquiry by a judicial magistrate in this case whereas it has only been ordered to be done by a DIG. She stated that the matter even qualifies for a CBI inquiry because of the involvement of high ranking officers. Jagdish Goyal of Radhey Krishna Gau Seva Sadan, Bazpur, Rumi Ram Jaiswal of Chharba Gaushala, Swami Anupmanand Giri of Manak Siddh Gaushala and others were among those present at the meet. The activists and children also demonstrated at Gandhi Park against the government’s apathy towards illegal cow slaughter.