Forest Minister Vasava terms LoP Dhanani’s statement on Gir lions deaths as irresponsible and politically motivated

Gandhinagar: Forest Minister of Gujarat Ganpat Vasava today termed the statement of LoP and senior Congress leader Paresh Dhanani about conspiracy behind death of 23 lions of Gir forest in the state as thoroughly ‘irresponsible’ and ‘political’.

Addressing a press conference here Vasava said that the situation in Gir forests was completely under control now. ‘After the death of 23 lions of one pride (family) in Sirisiya vidi of Dalkhaniya range in East Gir in Amreli district, no other lion has died in last five days. Only three of the the same pride of 26 were under treatment,’ he said.

‘Pareshbhai is MLA from Amreli where the lions have died, but he had not even bothered to visit the area even once and is now issuing irresponsible and political statement. His statement was completely politically motivated,’ the minister said.

Notably, Dhanani has raised a political storm of sorts by saying that it is being suspected that the BJP government in the state has got the lions killed so that the other Gir lions could be trans-located to poll bound Madhya Pradesh and the party could take electoral mileage from it during the coming assembly election in the neighbouring state.

Earlier the media coordinator of ruling BJP Harshad Patel had also termed the statement of Dhanani as nonsensical, absurd and immature.

DeshGujarat