Taking a jibe at BSP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced in the state Assembly on Thursday that his government has banned use of elephants in public function or any other use. Elephant is election symbol of BSP.
“I have banned display of elephant in public functions. It would be preserved under wildlife category and for this an elephant rescue center would be opened in Chambal area of Etawah district,’ he said during debarte on Home Department budget in Vidhan Sabha. The CM said the licence on use of elephant for public function like marriage, rallies or processions have been cancelled. “We have also sought permission from the Centre to set up an elephant rescue center in Etawah,’ he said.
The CM castigated BSP, saying that they had never done anything to save the wildlife. “We had built two rescue centers for bear in Agra and now an elephant rescue centre would be opened soon,” he said. Taking this comment in his stride leader of Opposition and senior BSP leader Swamy Prasad Maurya said that “this decision of Government shows CM’s love for the pachyderm.
There was a peal of laughter when Parliament Affairs Minister Mohammad Azam Khan said the CM should take the male elephants to Etawah and the female ones should be sent to Rampur, his assembly constituency.