MUMBAI: The controversy surrounding the killing of tigress Avni triggered a fresh war of words between the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena on Saturday, with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray terming the state’s government’s decision to set up a committee to probe the killing as a farce.
“The appointment of the committee (to probe killing of the tigress) is a farce. The incident needs to be probed by a committee under a retired judge,” Thackeray said. He also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ defence that “Mungantiwar (state forest minister) didn’t shoot the tigress himself.” Stepping up the heat on the ruling party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), too, joined the activists in raising doubts over the killing.
City Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam even accused state forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar of having a nexus with the international poaching mafia. After the maneater’s post-mortem examination report raised questions on whether proper procedure was followed while trying to neutralise her, the state government on Friday night announced the appointment of a committee to probe the incident.