An animal rights activist died after he consumed pesticide demanding that cow be declared national animal and Rashtra Mata (mother of the nation), in Rajkot, Gujarat. Seven other activists are under treatment.
The activists had come to the Rajkot collector’s office with hundreds of others. They declared that they were “sacrificing their lives to press their demand to make cow the national animal of the country and impose a nationwide ban on beef.”
Hinda Bharwad died in civil hospital, Rajkot. “The others are stable,” a senior government official told The Hindu .
Following Bharwad’s death, thousands of people, including priests of various temples, gathered at the hospital. Former Union Minister and chairman of the Gujarat Gau Seva Board Vallabh Kathiria was booed by the crowd and not allowed to see those under treatment.
Animal rights organisations and several other outfits have given a call for Rajkot bandh on Friday.
On Wednesday, a group of activists had submitted a memorandum to district collector Manish Chandra. They apparently told the collector that they would take the extreme step if their demand was not acted upon immediately.
On Thursday, they came with bottles of pesticide and sneaked into the collector’s office premises where, after a brief slogan shouting, they consumed the poison. “They were rushed to the civil hospital immediately,” said a senior police official from Rajkot.
