8 cows found dead in Chhattisgarh village; BJP targets ruling Congress

Eight cows were found dead and 11 others taken ill in a village in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district on Monday allegedly after consuming stale and leftover food.

While government officials said the exact cause behind the deaths was yet to be ascertained, local residents and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the cows died due to food poisoning after consuming stale food from packets thrown around the venue of an event recently organised by the ruling Congress.

However, the Congress has accused the opposition party of doing politics over the tragic incident.

After being alerted about cow deaths in Tuta village in Nava Raipur, a team of veterinarians was sent to the spot, a senior veterinary department official told PTI.

"Eight cattle were found dead and 11 others ailing," he said.

''The ailing animals were treated and their condition was stated to be stable. However, the team of veterinarians has been camping in the village to monitor their condition," said the official.

Viscera samples of the dead cattle were sent to a laboratory for examination and a report was awaited, he said.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief Arun Sao claimed around 30 cows have died in the Tuta-Mana area, but the administration was trying to cover up the issue.

He said the cattle died after consuming stale food from packets thrown around 'Mela Sthal', the site of a programme attended by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the weekend.

"On September 2, Rahul Gandhi attended a programme of Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club in Mela Sthal in front of Tuta village in Naya Raipur. The quality of food supplied in the event was so poor that people gathered there threw packets on the ground and nearby areas. Cattle of nearby villages consumed the same stale food and some of them died due to food poisoning, while several others fell ill,'' the BJP leader alleged.

Sao blamed Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for the cow deaths.

Claiming that the administration was trying to cover up the issue, he demanded a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to each of the cattle owner.

Sao said the state BJP has constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident.

Terming the incident as unfortunate, head of state Congress communication wing Sushil Anand Shukla said authorities have been investigating the cause behind the cow deaths.

Accusing the BJP of doing politics over the incident, he said the people of Chhattisgarh have not forgotten how during the 15-year-rule of the Raman Singh government, more than 17,000 cows died in 'gaushalas' (cow shelters) run by people belonging to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.