JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths of missing tigers from the Sariska and Ranthambore tiger reserves. Demanding a white paper on the incidents from chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the BJP raised nine questions.
Taking a cue from Union forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh's official communications with the state government on the subject, the BJP's state spokesperson Sunil Bhargava alleged on Friday the chief minister was shirking responsibility for the mysterious killings and disappearance of tigers by just suspending forest officials.
"Can the government be absolved of its inaction and carelessness, as alleged by the Union minister, in tiger conservation simply by suspending two officials," Bhargava asked.
The BJP wanted the chief minister to tell people what steps his government took on the six letters that the union forest and environment minister has dispatched to him (Gehlot) in the past six months.
"Let us hear what the chief minister has to say on the Union minister holding the inactive and directionless' state government responsible for the carelessness towards tiger conservation," said Bhargava.
The spokesperson stated the Union minister has accused the Gehlot government of not sticking to the Centre's policy. "The Union minister has alleged that the state government was ignoring tiger conservation under pressure from the mine-mafia and influential persons," Bhargava pointed out, asking the chief minister to explain his position on the allegations from his own party minister.
Referring to the Union minister's statement the tiger at Sariska could have been a victim of poisoning, the BJP has asked the state government to tell if it was ready to own up responsibility for the same. Bhargava emphasised that even though the Centre has doubled the strength of forest officers in the state, why adequate number of inspectors were not deployed at the two tiger reserves. "The government is keen to translocate tigers, but it is indifferent in ensuring proper rehabilitation of the big cats. Why is this so?" the BJP wanted to know.
The BJP demanded the state government make it public its' scheme for shifting and rehabilitating the villagers from the tiger reserve areas, since the Centre has agreed to pay Rs 30 crore for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the Ranthambore Bachao Andolan made a representation before the Bharatpur divisional commissioner Rajeshwar Singh complaining against the Sawai Madhopur district administration apathy towards the killing and missing of tigers at Ranthambore. Singh was at Ranthambore to monitor the "Prashashan gaon ke sang" camp on Friday.
"The divisional commissioner assured us of action in the matter. We will now organise a mahapanchayat of locals to save the tigers and decide on shifting of villagers from the reserve," Andolan's president Akshay Sharma said.
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