The Forest department has locked horns with animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi yet again, this time over elephant management in the State.
Responding to allegations levelled by the Sultanpur MP on the health condition of Manu, a six-year-old male elephant calf, at the elephant rehabilitation centre in Kottoor in Thiruvananthapuram, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran condemned her ‘tendency’ to portray the government in bad light. He extended an invite to Ms. Gandhi again to understand the ground realities rather than believing ‘hearsay’. In a letter to Mr. Saseendran on May 26, Ms. Gandhi had alleged that the calf was not being taken care of properly.
Manu’s ailment has sparked the latest war of words between Ms. Gandhi and the State government. A month ago, in the wake of the death of a sloth bear, she had reportedly said that the State’s Forest department is the ‘worst’ in the country. The statement had evoked sharp response from the government.
