500 cows dead in BJP-ruled Rajasthan; CM Vasundhara Raje to visit shelter

Volunteers say that they removed 90 dead cows in two days and that there are many more dead cows in the shelter.

The BJP-ruled Rajasthan government is facing heat as over 500 cows have reportedly died in the last two weeks in a shelter near Jaipur. The Rajasthan CM will visit the government-run Gaushala (cow shelter) in Hingonia on Saturday.

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According to an NDTV report,more than 250 contractual workers who were hired to clean the cow sheds and feed the animals have been on strike since a month. The salaries of the workers have been held up due to a dispute between Jaipur Municipal Corporation and the firm which provides the workers

The shelter which has nearly 8,000 cows did not seem to have made any arrangements to compensate for the absence of the workers leading to starvation of the cows and the stalls filling with muck. The cows are reportedly dying of hunger and their hooves are getting stuck in the muck which is being created due by rain and cow dung. The official figure of number of cow deaths is unavailable, however, volunteers claim that they cleared 90 carcasses in the last two days and there are more dead cows in the shelter. Dr Devendra Kumar Yadav, a Government vet, said that most cows died due to starvation than disease.

The Rajasthan High Court has asked for a report from the state which is now using heavy machines to clear the muck. Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said a high-level meeting had been called and officials were instructed to conduct an investigation and sort out the problem.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rameshwar Dudi attacked the BJP asking where were the gau-rakshaks now? He also accused the government of apathy and neglect.

Congress Jaipur district chief Pratap Singh Khachariawas said the party will take out a 'Gauraksha Padyatra' march from the PCC office to Govind Devji temple tomorrow demanding "result-oriented efforts" from the state government to protect cows. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal too targeted the Raje government for its "inhuman behaviour" with the cows at the shelter.

"The gaushala, instead of a rehabilitation centre, appears to be a graveyard for the cows. There are heaps of dirt and mud all over the centre in which the animals get trapped and killed. Despite more than 500 cows dying, no action and effort from the administration is highly condemnable," said VHP's senior office-bearer Narpat Singh Shekhawat.