To greet neta, Cong workers fire live doves in rockets
Hyderabad:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
In an appalling exhibition of insensitivity, Congress members stuffed live pigeons into rocket cones and fired these for a display of pyrotechnics to welcome Andhra Pradesh Congress chief N Raghuveera Reddy to Kovvuru town in West Godavari district.
Two pigeons fell dead while others had their wings and claws scorched once the air-crackers blew up. The incident, which occurred on Saturday , invited the wrath of animal rights activists and TDP officials on Sunday , with Andhra minister P Manikyala Rao saying the government will prosecute the offenders under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
In fact, overenthusiastic Congress workers had also tied party flags to the necks of the birds and some stuck paper rolls with `welcome', meant to unfurl once the rockets exploded and released the pigeons.
Local MLA, K S Jawahar, said the bizarre incident bespoke of the “mental condition“ of Congress members in Andhra Pradesh. “The government will take stern penal action against the accused. We've identified them. The law-enforcing agencies will register a case and proceed further,“ he said.
Congress was wiped out in the recent assembly elections in the bifurcated state and the party is desperately making efforts to regain its lost glory. However, frying up pigeons in midair in celebration is unlikely to improve their prospects.
Raghuveera Reddy , who went to Godavari river bank town to organise aprotest demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh, said he was unaware that pigeons were abused and killed.
