Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi is heading to his constituency in Kerala in the wake of escalating public protests over back-to-back deaths of residents in wild elephant attacks.
Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan’s office informed that Mr. Gandhi, currently touring Uttar Pradesh as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, will likely reach Kozhikode late on February 17 (Saturday).
Mr. Satheesan and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran, who are presently heading the party’s Statewide Samaragni campaign tour in Palakkad, are expected to reach Kozhikode to receive Mr. Gandhi at the airport.
Bipartisan intervention
Meanwhile, Mr. Satheesan spoke on the phone with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Both leaders reportedly discussed a politically bipartisan intervention to prevent the escalating public protests from spiralling out of control.
Mr. Satheesan requested the government not to take any action that would exacerbate the emotive street protests at Pulpally in Wayanad in the wake of the fatal wild elephant attack on Paul, an eco-tourism guide and resident, on Friday.
The demonstrators mobbed a Forest department van and deflated its tyres. They also turned their ire against local law enforcers, prompting the police to resort to repeated baton charges.
Curfew in Pulpally
The protesters also harangued local MLAs and local self-government institutions (LSGI) representatives. The District Collector has imposed a curfew in Pulpally till February 19 (Monday).
Forests Minister A.K. Saseendran told reporters in Kozhikode that political parties jointly backed the hartal in Wayanad. The government empathised with the public cause propounded by the protesters, he said.
However, he said wanton violence against wildlife enforcers, the police and elected peoples’ representatives would preclude stakeholders from arriving at a sustainable solution to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.
Health Minister refutes charges
In Pathanamthitta, Health Minister Veena George refuted the accusation that belated medical attention had hastened Paul’s death. She said government doctors had worked hard to save Paul. Nevertheless, Ms. Veena said, the accusation by his daughter has prompted the government to seek a report from the District Medical Officer, Wayanad.
Meanwhile, in principle, the government decided to employ Paul’s wife, underwrite his bank debts and subsidise his daughter’s education.
The administration has also agreed to extend an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the bereaved family until it finalised the compensation amount.
