How a radio collared elephant triggered Cong vs opposition slugfest in Karnataka

On February 10, Ajeesh Jospeh Panachiyil was trampled to death by an elephant in Kerala's Waynad district

A major political slugfest has erupted between the ruling Congress and the opposition parties in Karnataka, this time over a ‘radio-collared’ elephant in Kerala's Wayanad district.

How a radio collared elephant triggered Cong vs opposition slugfest in Karnataka

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) are up in arms against the Congress government for granting ₹15 lakh compensation to the family of a man who was trampled to death by this elephant.

On February 10, Ajeesh Jospeh Panachiyil was trampled to death by an elephant in Waynad district. The elephant was born in Karnataka’s Hassan and was later translocated to Bandipur forest. However, it made its way through the forest and entered a place that geographically falls in Kerala.

After the death of Panachiyil, protests erupted in the villages in Waynad district. Rahul Gandhi, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad, stopped his ongoing Bharat Nyay Yatra and visited the family of the deceased in his constituency.

Gandhi also reportedly asked the Karnataka government to extend help to the family of the deceased, as it was Karnataka’s radio-collared elephant that killed the victim. On Sunday, the Siddaramaiah government sanctioned the compensation of Rs. 15 lakh to the family of Panchaiyl.

Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra called it a misuse of taxpayers' money, saying, “When a man died in Wayanad, how is the Karnataka government paying compensation to a family which belongs to Kerala?"

"The Congress leaders are also doing this to please Rahul Gandhi. It is nothing but a sheer waste of taxpayers’ money.” Vijayendra added, demanding that the Karnataka government take back the compensation money.

Former Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy also took a swipe at the Congress. “When the people of Karnataka die from animal attacks, the government only pays ₹5 lakh as compensation. But since the order came from Rahul Gandhi, the Congress government decided to pay ₹15 lakh as compensation. The government doesn't respect its taxpayers," he said.

Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said it is unfair to label an elephant as ‘Karnataka elephant’ or ‘Kerala elephant’ as it has no borders. The compensation was also reportedly granted on humanitarian grounds.