Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has lashed out at the Hindutva brigade in India for their desperate attempts to communalise the murder of a pregnant elephant in Palakkad district. In a series of tweets, Vijayan promised that people responsible for the pregnant elephant’s death will not go unpunished.
Vijayan wrote, “.. We are saddened by the fact some have used this tragedy to unleash a hate campaign. Lies built upon inaccurate descriptions and half-truths were employed to obliterate the truth. Some even tried to import bigotry into the narrative. Wrong priorities.”
Vijayan was hinting at the social media campaign to add a communal colour by BJP leaders and their supporters who inundated the micro-blogging site with fake news on Wednesday on the pretext of exhibiting their love for animals. They had claimed that the pregnant elephant was fed pineapple filled with crackers in the Mallapuram district, adding that Muslims were behind the act since the area has a sizeable population of people from the minority community.
However, as Janata Ka Reporter’s investigated proved, the elephant in question had died in Palakkad and not in Mallapuram.
Promising that ‘justice will prevail,’ Vijayan said, “In a tragic incident in Palakkad dist, a pregnant elephant has lost its life. Many of you have reached out to us. We want to assure you that your concerns will not go in vain. Justice will prevail. An investigation is underway, focusing on three suspects. The police and forest departments will jointly investigate the incident. The district police chief and the district forest officer visited the site today. We will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice.”
In a tragic incident in Palakkad dist, a pregnant elephant has lost its life. Many of you have reached out to us. We want to assure you that your concerns will not go in vain. Justice will prevail.
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) June 4, 2020
Vijayan concluded his post by saying, “Kerala is a society that respects the outrage against injustice. If there is any silver lining in this, it is that we now know that we can make our voices heard against injustice. Let us be that people who fight injustice in all its forms; everytime, everywhere.”
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The death of Kerala’s pregnant elephant had sent shockwaves across the world.