Rs 15 lakh compensation to Wayanad Elephant attack victim; BJP accuses Cong of misusing state funds for political gain

Team Udayavani, Feb 20, 2024, 3:07 PM IST

The Karnataka BJP has strongly criticized the Congress-led government’s decision to allocate Rs 15 lakh as compensation to the family of a man who lost his life in an elephant attack in Kerala’s Wayanad.

In a statement issued by BJP state President B.Y. Vijayendra, the move was condemned as a “shameful” attempt to appease Rahul Gandhi, the Member of Parliament representing Wayanad.

Expressing his dismay on social media platforms late Monday, Vijayendra denounced the Congress government’s decision as an “outrageous misuse” of taxpayer funds from Karnataka. He described the allocation of Rs 15 lakh to the deceased individual, falsely attributing blame to an elephant from Karnataka, as a “betrayal” of the people’s trust.

“Amid crippling drought and hundreds of farmers committing suicide across Karnataka, the Congress government shamelessly prioritizes pleasing Rahul Gandhi over addressing the state’s urgent needs.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cohorts must be held accountable for unethically looting Karnataka tax payers’ money and state treasury to cater Congress high command’s greed. Amidst the Congress party’s struggle for survival, its ministers are sparing no effort in plundering every last rupee of the state coffers.”

On Monday, Karnataka Minister for Forests B. Eshwar Khandre announced the compensation to the family of deceased Ajeesh, who lost life due to elephant trampling in Wayanad, Kerala.

A tusker named ‘Makna’, which was captured at Belur in Karnataka’s Hassan district, was relocated to the Bandipur Tiger reserve in November 2023. It was radio collared last year. Two months later the elephant was sighted in the Wayanad area of Kerala, the parliamentary constituency of Rahul Gandhi.

(With inputs from IANS)