Pics: Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 2: President of Amritadhara Cow Shelter Committee at Punyakoti Nagar in Kairangala near here, T G Rajaram Bhat, has undertaken fast unto death to protest against the forcible snatching away of cows from the cow shelter recently and demanding action against the culprits since Sunday April 1 morning. Several local people who share his views, have also undertaken protest demonstration in his support.

Although the local police officials tried to convince the concerned to drop their plan of undertaking protest, the protesters did not budge from their decision.

The protesters have asserted that there is no question of going back from their decision to continue with hunger strike till the thieves of the cows are arrested and they confess to their crime. They say that this will sound a warning to cattle thieves. They have warned that if the protest does not draw positive response from the concerned, the protest will be intensified further by way of relay dharna. They said that people affected by such cow thefts in the past also would join the protest towards intensifying it further if the response of the authorities remains lukewarm.

Before beginning the protest, Rajaram Bhat stated that this is a social movement and no castes or religions are being targetted. He felt that religious bigots and ganja addicts are indulging in such things in order to disrupt peace in the society.

City block BJP president, Santosh Kumar Rai, urged the government to take suitable steps against the culprits and not to remain blind to such incidents.

Taluk panchayat member, Naveen Padalpady, Ammembal Service Cooperative Society vice president, Jayaram Shetty Kambalapadavu, dignitaries like Jagadish Alva Kuvettabail, Konaje Shankar Bhat, Yedambale Satyanarayana Bhat, Nitin Gatty, Ramachandra Gatty, K I Keshava Bhat and others were present.

It may be recalled that miscreants had attacked Amritadhara cow shelter thrice in the recent past and forcibly taken away three cows sheltered there. Interestingly none of these miscreants have been nabbed so far.