#Avni – What’s the difference between poachers/trophy hunters and the government officials: Shiv Sena

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE – Shiv Sena leader and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray has raised some sharp and pointed questions about the manner in which Avani, the tigress was shot dead on Sunday in Maharashtra.

Avni, a “man-eater” tigress had killed 13 persons in and around Yavatmal district. State forest department had invited an ace shooter from Hyderabad to kill her. After many failed attempts, Avni was spotted near Pandharkavada last night. According to the forest department, attempts to tranquilize her proved futile and so, she was shot dead from a distance of approximately 8-10 metres.

“So what exactly is the difference between poachers/trophy hunters and the government officials who shot down and killed Avni?,” wrote Thackeray on Twitter.

Saamna also published two articles related to tigress Avni’s death, with the first one being a news article in which they dubbed the killing as an “encounter” by a “gangster”. Additionally, in the editorial, the Sena apologized to Avni the tigress, saying that it was “human selfishness” that had killed the animal.

In a veiled dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Sena also stated that while the government also ends up “killing” the common man through its policies on unemployment, inflation and other issues, no one calls it a “man-eater”. However, a tigress is labelled a “man-eater” and thus killed, the editorial noted. ‘Avni’s murder, a ghastly crime by ‘anti-national’ shooter Asgar Ali Khan’: Maneka Gandhi vows revenge.

“I want the Honourable Minister of Forest (Sudhir Mungantiwar) to ask his officials to handle this issue, and then answer the people directly on: If they could get a shot, so perfect to murder Avni, why couldn’t this expert blood thirsty hunter dart the tigress and tranquilise her? ” asked Aditya.

Avni had been blamed for the deaths of 13 people in the region since the last two years. DNA evidence had established the tigress’ links to five of the 13 deaths. Avni left behind two of her cubs, both 10 months old. Wildlife activists have claimed that the cubs won’t be able to survive much longer without their mother.