Will respond to Rahul Gandhi's letter on injured elephant on humanitarian grounds: CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said he will respond to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s letter, seeking his intervention for providing timely treatment to a “severely injured” elephant calf at the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, on humanitarian grounds.

He said he will speak to forest department officials and see to it that treatment is provided to the injured calf.

“I have just come to Bengaluru, in another half-n-hour, I will get all the details, will speak to senior forest officials and see what all can be done for the elephants immediately. They (elephants) are natural habitants, to what extent human interference can happen (will be looked into) and will verify on how treatment can be given, and will get it done,” Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here on returning from Mysuru, he said, “What he (Rahul Gandhi) has raised, I will respond to it. It needs to be done on a humanitarian grounds and will get it done.” Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday had written a letter to Bommai seeking his intervention for providing timely treatment to a severely injured elephant calf at the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.

He said he came across the injured calf during his visit to the Reserve, along with his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Nagarahole, spread over Mysuru and Kodagu, covers an area of 847.981 Sq km.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are in the state for the party’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

They participated in the march on Thursday morning when it resumed at Bellale in Pandavapura Taluk in Mandya District.