The vehicles transporting stray cows to the shelter homes were attacked in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh on Wednesday.
The development comes amid Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s direction to the officials to make immediate arrangements for proper care of stray cows.
Around 700-800 stray cows were kept locked inside a government school and primary health centre in Gorai by farmers on December 24 & 25 for destroying crops.
The administration was transporting the stray cows to shelters when few people attacked the vehicles as rumours were spread via local hindutva fringe elements that cows were being taken to be slaughtered,” said Aligarh SSP AK Sahni.
He said that two cases have been filed in this regard and four people have been arrested.
Aligarh District Magistrate CB Singh said that they had received complaints that villagers locked stray cows in school & health centre.
“I have directed SDM to visit Gorai. Village heads will be given responsibility to solve the issue. We are in the process of constructing cow shelters in various villages,” he added.
“The cows are destroying crops. We have been demanding cow shelters from govt but no action is being taken,” a farmer told media .
On Wednesday, besides asking officials to make 750 cows shelters set up at the Zilla Panchayat level functional, he directed them that proper fodder, shed and drinking facilities should be provided to the bovines both in the rural and urban areas.
The chief minister also said the state government has allotted Rs 10 crore to each of the 16 municipal corporations to arrange shelter for stray cows, while Rs 1.2 crore has been given to every district for setting up gaushalas.
