Featured Image Credits: Deccan Herald

The district administration and the police on Thursday, 4 March, demolished a goshala (cow shelter) in Mangaluru, leaving around 300 heads of cattle stranded without shelter. The Kapila Park Goshala had been operating for more than eight years in Kenjar on the outskirts of the city and housed cattle of the indigenous Kapila breed.

The Kapila Park Goshala had been operating for the past eight years on 19 cents of land in Kenjar, which is part of the 158 acres of land of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board which has been earmarked for the proposed Coast Guard Academy.

Prakash Shetty of Sumedha Trust, which runs the cow shelter, accused the district administration of demolishing the goshala without any warning. “There are 300 cattle in my goshala. Where should I find an alternative land for the cattle? The least government could have done is to provide an alternate land for the goshala,” he said.

He said that when bulldozers arrived at the cow shelter for the demolition, only bulls were present, while the cows had gone out for grazing. “It is shocking that a political party, that came to power on the promise of protecting cows, has now destroyed a goshala”, he rued.

“This cruel act of the administration and representatives is a betrayal to Hindutva and humanity. They are worse than Mughal rulers,” he added.

Accusing the State government of acting against the welfare of cattle, Mr. Shetty said he was yet to recover from the shock of Thursday’s incident. “I am thinking of building a shelter on our land, which adjoins the land on which the goshala was located. I don’t have money to rebuild the shelter,” said Mr. Shetty, who is a businessman.

Denying allegations that he had built the goshala illegally, Mr. Shetty said there were records showing that he had legally purchased the land from the earlier owner. He also claimed that he managed the goshala using his own funds and had not taken any funds from the government. He sold a few head of cattle recently as he had to bear the expenses of taking care of the native breed of cattle, he added.

In a recent meeting, BJP MLA directed district  authorities to clear the cow shelter within the week

During a recent District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting, BJP MP Nalin Kumar Kateel had directed the district administration to clear the cow shelter within the week. MLA for Moodbidri Umanath Kotian had accused the goshala owner of indulging in sale of cattle.

On Thursday, personnel from the district administration came along with the local police and razed the shelter. There were comments on social media subsequently condemning Mr. Kateel and Mr. Kotian.

Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra said the district administration was ready to rehabilitate the cattle if a request was made by the goshala owner. “We are yet to receive a request from Mr. Shetty,” he said, adding that there was no question of paying any compensation as the goshala was operating illegally on government land. The administration arranged for fodder and water for the cattle on Thursday, he said.

Two months ago, a notice was issued to Prakash Shetty to vacate on the grounds that it was illegal. Mr. Shetty had reached out to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi and the BJP governments at the Centre and State to fulfill their commitment for cattle protection. However, no compromise had been reached. According to reports, he had even reached out to the PMO, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, urging them to intervene and protect the cow shelter.

BJP leaders had done “go pooja” in the same cow shelter, says Congress leader

Former Mangaluru Mayor and Congress leader Kavitha Sanil accused the BJP state government of being hypocritical on the issue of cow-protection. On the pretext of clearing a ‘goshala’ encroachment in Kenjaru, the BJP has rendered homeless several cows and calves, she alleged.

Speaking to the media at the Congress office on March 6, she said that BJP MLAs and MPs resort to politics in the name of cow during election time, but are now silent when cattle are rendered homeless.

“There is no objection to the setting up of a Coast Guard Academy. If government land has been encroached, then action could have been taken against those concerned.  The building could have been vacated by making alternate arrangements for the cattle, but in this case the poor animals have been left on the streets. What else can such people be called but fake cattle lovers?,” she said.

Showing old photos of BJP leaders offering “Go Pooja” in the place, she questioned why none of them have now visited when the cows are roaming on the streets.

Congress leader and MLA UT Khader said that authorities have rendered the poor animals homeless by not making alternate arrangements before clearing the encroachment.

Prakash Shetty and other activists, under the banner of Vande Mataram Go Samrakshana Samiti, plan to carry out a protest on March 11 demanding the restoration of the goshala. The protest will be staged near the mini-Vidhana Soudha.

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