Gujarat Tourism Minister Jai Narain Vyas Saturday aggressively demanded a comprehensive campaign for protecting the Asiatic lion in Gir, on the lines of the impressive campaign to save the tiger in India.

Vyas was speaking at the one-day western region conference of tourism ministers organized by the union tourism ministry. The conference was aimed at discussion on tourism related issues and problems that specifically pertain to the states in the western region to ensure holistic and integrated development of tourism.

“The Rs.200 crore save the tiger project is good as there are only 1430 tigers left in India but then there are just 600Asiatic lions left in the country. Why not a campaign to save the lions too?” Vyas said here in his presentation, pointing to Gujarat’s Gir wildlife sanctuary, which is home to the Asiatic lion in India.

“Gir is the last abode of Asiatic lions in the world. Why are we forgetting them? If a tiger is a secular animal, then a lion is also secular. Please pay attention to it,” Vyas added.

Tourism ministers and officials from Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and the union territory of Daman and Diu attended the conference, which was chaired by Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja.