After Dolphin beaten to death in UP, anger erupted on social media
A rare Gangetic Dolphin was beaten to death in a canal in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh by three men who used sticks and axes to kill it. The video shows few men surround a rare Gangetic dolphin while three among them beat it with axe and lathis.
According to the report, the incident took place on December 31, 2020. All three were identified from the video and are residents of a nearby village. Inspector Jitendra Singh, Kunda circle, Pratapgarh, told, “Three of them have been arrested. Rahul, 20 years, son of Ayodhya Prasad, Anuj 20 years, son of Ram Pal, and Rahul, 19 years, son of Chote Lal, were arrested Thursday.” An FIR has been lodged under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, at the Nawabganj police station. Under this section, the accused, if held guilty, shall be punished with an imprisonment of 3-7 years and a minimum fine of Rs 10,000.
After the video went viral on social media, Netizens erupted their anger on Twitter.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, (General Secretary, Indian National Congress) tweeted and said, “The video of the dolphin ruthlessly killing the fish is very painful. The dolphin fish lives in the lap of the Ganges mother and is a rare creature. This behavior with dolphin fish is against humanity and our culture and it is our duty to stop doing so.”
डॉल्फिन मछली को बेरहमी से मारने वाला वीडियो बहुत ही दर्दनाक है। डॉल्फिन मछली गंगा मां की गोद में अपना जीवन बिताती है और एक दुर्लभ जीव है।
डॉल्फिन मछली के साथ किया गया ये व्यवहार मानवता और हमारी संस्कृति के विरुद्ध है और हमारा कर्तव्य है कि हम ऐसा करने से रोकें। pic.twitter.com/z90sUGRfQQ
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) January 9, 2021
NDTV reporter Gargi Rawat posted a video of the attack, calling it a disturbing one. “A Gangetic dolphin being brutally beaten by a group of men! It’s such a rare and gentle creature, and even so, this level of brutality against any living thing is horrific.”
Such a disturbing video shared by @alok_pandey A Gangetic dolphin being brutally beaten by a group of men! It’s such a rare and gentle creature, and even so, this level of brutality against any living thing is horrific. #pratapgarh #dolphin pic.twitter.com/Mqp9rkRP17
— Gargi Rawat (@GargiRawat) January 8, 2021
Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan tweeted, “Identify the animals here. Killing a harmless dolphins just for fun. Good all culprits were arrested.”
He added in another tweet, “That is why we need strict implementation of wildlife laws. And also better wildlife and environmental awareness. Gangetic dolphin is national aquatic animal of India. And a schedule one protected species. With highest order of protection under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.”
That is why we need strict implementation of wildlife laws. And also better wildlife and environmental awareness.
Gangetic dolphin is national aquatic animal of India. And a schedule one protected species. With highest order of protection under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) January 8, 2021
It should be noted that the Gangetic river dolphin, an endangered species, is the National Aquatic Animal. Last year in August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced ‘Project Dolphin’ to boost the conservation of both river and sea dolphins in India.
