A case has been registered against West Godavari district Congress president Sheikh Rafiullah Baig and two of his supporters for allegedly firing two rockets (locally known as tarajuvvas) attached to white pigeons at a function on Saturday to welcome Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief N Raghuveera Reddy at Kovvur in WG. Two of Baig’s supporters overdid the celebrations by putting two white pigeons in large cones and attaching them to rockets and firing them. “The newspaper cones carrying the pigeons detached when the rockets exploded in the sky and they flew off but it definitely is cruelty towards the birds.
Some people claimed that the birds died but we checked videos taken on mobile phones which show that the birds were unharmed and flew away. We have registered a case against Baig and two of his supporters who have been identified under various sections of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,’’ Kovvur Town Police Inspector Prasad Rao said. Police is also scrutinizing the videos taken at the spot as some party workers allegedly tied small Congress flags to the pigeons and released them when Raghuveera Reddy arrived to hold a protest to demand special status for Andhra Pradesh. As it was his first visit after being made chief of the AP Congress, party workers and local leaders organized a huge reception for him.
Inspector Rao said that some locals, mainly Telugu Desam and YSR Congress Party workers, alleged that the two birds attached to the fired rockets died. “We have not found any evidence so far that any of the birds were harmed in the incident. All the videos show that the birds flew away but if any fresh evidence comes up we will add it to the case,’’ Inspector RAo said. Meanwhile, Raghuveera Reddy said he was embarrassed by the incident and has appealed to all his party workers and leaders not to organize or allow such kind of activities. “It is unfortunate.
I was not aware that the doves were fired with rockets like that until someone mentioned it to me. I will never allow any such incidents to happen again,’’ the AP Congress chief said. The ruling Telugu Desam Party launched a scathing attack on Raghuveera Reddy and the Congress leaders over the incident. “Such kind of cruelty to birds cannot be tolerated. It reveals the mindset of the Congress workers and those involved in the incident will be prosecuted,’’ Minister for Endowments P Manikyala Rao said
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