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Maharashtra MLA's ‘stray dogs’ remark: Assam CM demands statement of regret
In a letter to his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde, Himanta Biswa Sarma said people of the northeastern state were ‘dismayed’ and ‘agitated’ by Bachchu Kadu's remark.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a letter to Eknath Shinde, has requested his Maharashtra counterpart to ask state legislator Bachchu Kadu to withdraw the ‘send stray dogs to Assam’ remark, which the independent MLA made earlier this month, and issue a press release expressing regret for the comment.
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“Along with the people of Assam, I am extremely dismayed and agitated by the comments of the aforesaid MLA which has expressed his prejudices and ignorance about the culture of our State. I am sure that you will fully empathise with the sentiments of the people of Assam in this matter,” Sarma wrote in his letter to Shinde.
A copy of the March 19 letter is available with Hindustan Times.
What did Bachchu Kadu say?
The Prahar Janshakti Party (PJP) leader made the remark in the Maharashtra assembly, during a discussion on the issue of problems caused by stray dogs.
“Stray dogs are in demand in Assam. They fetch selling price of up to ₹8,000. To control the population of stray dogs in the state, they should be dispatched to Assam," he had said.
The politician reasoned that locals in the northeastern state ‘consume' dogs. His statement, however, invited flak from animal rights activists.
