Wayanad, Kerala – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has rushed to his constituency in Wayanad, Kerala, after a district-wide strike led by opposition parties turned violent over the ongoing man-animal conflicts in the region.
Gandhi, who was in Uttar Pradesh for his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, left for Wayanad to address the urgent matters in his Lok Sabha constituency. This comes after another man was killed by a wild elephant near Kuruva island in Wayanad, sparking large-scale protests for permanent solutions to the man-animal conflicts.
The strike in Wayanad took a violent turn, with residents stopping a forest department vehicle and causing damage. Locals gathered in large numbers to protest, and as a result, all shops remained closed and vehicles stayed off the roads in Wayanad.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has instructed concerned ministers to convene a high-level meeting to address the recurring conflicts between humans and animals in the region. As per the directive, Revenue, Forest, and Local Self Government Department ministers will jointly convene a meeting in Wayanad on February 20.
The ongoing conflicts have resulted in casualties, including a 42-year-old man who was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the Mananthavady area of the district, prompting further protests and demands for action in Wayanad. Gandhi’s visit comes amid escalating tensions and demands from the public for effective solutions to the persistent man-animal conflicts in the region.