The Indian version of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Congress President Rahul Gandhi has a soft corner for animals is a known fact. After all, he chose to feed his pet dog Pidi when former Assam Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and other leaders wanted to discuss Assam issues during the Assam assembly elections.
Today, expressing sadness over the killing of Avni, the tigress by Shafat Ali Khan and his son Asghar in Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to cite a quote by Mahatma Gandhi.
The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
Mahatma Gandhi#Avni
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 5, 2018
The man-eating tigress Avni who is believed to be responsible for the death of 13 people in past two years, had Supreme Court directive to tranquilise and trap her. The forest department had also issued a shoot-to-kill order for Avni, which was to be used as a last resort. Avni, however, was killed when she reportedly tried to attack the stalking team which shot her.
Leaving aside the above fact, Rahul Gandhi’s moral high ground on animal rights is a little hypocritical. Some Twitter users reminded him of the time Kerala Youth Congress members publicly slaughtered a calf to protest against the government’s notification to restrict the sale of cattle in the markets for slaughter purpose.
Kerala Youth Congress leader, Rijil Makkutty agrees pic.twitter.com/eEv6YUgY88
— Masakadzas (@Nesenag) November 5, 2018
Oh! Yes like Kerala Congressis cooked beef with great care on streets https://t.co/B2zhKHO5Gi
— iMac_too (@iMac_too) November 5, 2018
While others appreciated him taking a strong stand against brutal animal slaughter, especially during Eid.
Good to see that you are finally taking a stand against the brutal slaughter at #Bakrid.
— Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) November 5, 2018
We should follow Gandhi and ban slaughtering of animals across India. https://t.co/6MKsc2EEij
— रवि कांत (@LegalKant) November 5, 2018
And some pointed out how other leaders are actually treating the animals, the protection of which is mocked regularly by the so-called liberal ecosystem.
True pic.twitter.com/DJ9eXd7xpZ
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) November 5, 2018
Dear gandhi what to say about gau mata and other animal? Brutally murdered by a community @INCIndia @aajtak https://t.co/baDxNIr73Z
— Ashish Kumar Dwivedi (@AshishkuDwi) November 5, 2018
Others, of course, had their own share of conspiracy theories of estranged family members finally getting back together before 2019 elections.
Btw, it’s clearly a move towards family reunion. Backing Maneka Chachi https://t.co/B2zhKHO5Gi
— iMac_too (@iMac_too) November 5, 2018
Or maybe it is just that after the soft Hindutva approach Rahul Gandhi has been taking all these months, he may graduate to extending his support to the Gau Rakshaks (cow protectors), who is regularly mocked by the so-called liberals.
