Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a protest urging authorities to drop the proposal on modernising the city’s only abattoir in Kudroli at a cost of Rs 15 crore under Smart City project in front of Mangaluru City Corporation office building on Friday.
Addressing the protesters, Bajrang Dal leader Sharan Pumpwell accused District In-charge Minister U T Khader of wooing a particular community and failing to develop his constituency in the district. He accused Khader of hurting the sentiments of Hindus through his statements.
He charged, “Cow is holy for Hindus. We will not allow upgradation of the slaughterhouse in Mangaluru. We need Smart City and not a modernised slaughterhouse in the name of Smart City. Despite being aware that the cow is a sensitive issue in the district, Minister Khader has been supporting the issue of modernising slaughterhouse.”
“We want authorities to develop roads and provide better infrastructure facilities, but not a slaughterhouse,” he said.
In a veiled attack against Khader, he appealed to Hindu temples and administrators to deny entry to those who support cow slaughters.
VHP leader Jagadish Shenava dared Khader to go ahead and release Rs 15 crore to the Kudroli slaughterhouse. “We are ready to protest and take any action against these cow slaughter centres,” he said.
He described the Kudroli abattoir as a ‘terrorist centre’ and mocked at officers below the rank of being scared to raid these slaughterhouses.”
‘Politically motivated’
At a press meet, MLC Ivan D’Souza described the protest by the BJP and others against the proposal on modernising the slaughterhouse as politically motivated.
“Slaughterhouses need to be upgraded. Should the blood and other waste from slaughterhouses be dumped on the road or into the drains?” he asked.
Ivan went a step ahead and described the entire concept of Smart City project as a bogus. “Why the elected representatives are kept out of the purview of Smart City Limited Board of directors?” he asked.