‘Cheetahs brought to divert attention from…’: Kamal Nath on big cats’ rehoming in MP
The MP national park was reportedly readied for lions, but the Gujarat government did not release them.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Sunday said cheetahs were brought to the Kuno National Park (KNP) in the state from Namibia to “divert attention” of people from the refusal of the authorities in Gujarat to shift Gir lions to the facility.
The former MP chief minister said, “Actually, lions should have come to KNP. When I was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, I tried hard to bring lions to KNP. I talked to the government and all preparations were made. I asked for lions but they refused. You didn't send us lions from Gujarat but cheetahs were flown in to divert the attention.”
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The MP national park was reportedly readied for lions, but the Gujarat government did not release them. According to a wildlife activist, more than 600 lions might face an existential crisis if a disease breaks out in Gujarat's Gir forest, reported PTI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday released eight cheetahs in the Kuno National Park (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh. Of the total eight, five cheetahs are female, between two and five years of age, and three are males between 4.5 and 5.5 years of age. Modi also addressed the citizens on the reintroduction of the big cats post the release.
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Taking a dig at the much-publicised “cheetah event”, the MP Congress chief said Sheopur, the district where KNP is situated, is the most malnourished district in India. He also alleged that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in the state “is not concerned over the health of Sheopur residents”.
“A camp should have been put in to eradicate malnourishment but they wanted to perform a cheetah event. Cheetahs could have come after a month,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
