Mangalore, November 11: Activists of Bajrang Dal on Thursday disrupted an annual cattle fair in Kulkunda in Sullia Taluk. For the second consecutive year, the right wing activists did not allow buyers to leave the fair with the animals for several hours.
The fair is being organised by the Subrahmanya Gram Panchayat since the Panchayat was set up. Every year, thousands of draught animals are brought to the fair from all over the State and the fair attract buyers from the neighbouring districts as well as Kerala.
The three-day Kulkunda cattle fair was inaugurated in the morning in an open field which belonged to the Kukke Subrahmanya temple before the land reforms were introduced.
According to Panchayat Vice-President Narayana Agrahara, the Panchayat had obtained permission from the Tahsildar to organise the fair though a committee as per the law.
However, like previous year, on the first day of fair around 50 Bajrang Dal activists prevented vehicles from leaving the fair until Gram Panchayat officials, the Sullia Tahsildar and the police agreed to their demands.
City Convenor of the Bajrang Dal Sharan Pumpwell claimed that the members of his outfit simply did not allow the vehicles transporting the animals to leave until evening. The vehicles were allowed to leave only after their demands had been met by the officials during a meeting held at around 7 p.m.
Justifying his outfits act, Mr Pumpwell said that only 10 per cent of the cattle traded at the fair were meant for agricultural use, while the rest of cattle would be taken to slaughter houses in Kerala.
Meanwhile, Subrahmanya police has registered a case against two Bajrang Dal activists for illegally threatening to kill a vehicle driver while transporting cattle.
Comments
Add new comment