Hundreds of tum-tums (horse-carts) hired by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for poll campaign has invited ire from animal rights activists who have lodged complaint with the Election Commission on the ground of “animal cruelty”.
To race against BJP’s hi-tech mobile vans and Nitish Kumar’s bi-cycle on the fast lane for poll campaign, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had hired hundreds of tum-tums (horse-carts) from across the state. Two days back those decorated tum-tums were lined up on Beerchand Patel Path near RJD party headquarter waiting for the marching order.
Party sources told The Hindu that the tum-tums have been hired from every corner of the state for poll campaign. Each tum-tum owners would be paid around Rs 500 per day during the campaign, said a party leader.
The party chief Lalu Prasad was recently seen riding on a such tum-tum, followed by others, during the party’s bandh call on July 27. Both his sons, ready to enter into the poll arena, too were spotted on each side of their father on the tum-tum.
However, the organization of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has said that the RJD’s plan to use horse carts for the poll campaign would go against the Election Commission of India’s 2012 advisory asking all political parties to refrain from using animals for political campaigns. PETA has also apprised the Election Commission of its concerns.
“Political parties should refrain from parading around vulnerable animals. We call for a halt to RJD’s plan to use tum-tums for the poll campaign”, appealed Poorva Joshipura, Chief Executive Officer, PETA, India.
But, the PETA advisory apparently has no effect on RJD leaders who said “it’s a cheaper mode of transport for campaign in rural areas of a state like Bihar.”
