The Indian version of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Congress President Rahul Gandhi has a soft corner for animals is a known fact. After all, he chose to feed his pet dog Pidi when former Assam Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma and other leaders wanted to discuss Assam issues during the Assam assembly elections.
Today, expressing sadness over the killing of Avni, the tigress by Shafat Ali Khan and his son Asghar in Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to cite a quote by Mahatma Gandhi.
https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1059311782681067520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The man-eating tigress Avni who is believed to be responsible for the death of 13 people in past two years, had Supreme Court directive to tranquilise and trap her. The forest department had also issued a shoot-to-kill order for Avni, which was to be used as a last resort. Avni, however, was killed when she reportedly tried to attack the stalking team which shot her.
Leaving aside the above fact, Rahul Gandhi’s moral high ground on animal rights is a little hypocritical. Some Twitter users reminded him of the time Kerala Youth Congress members publicly slaughtered a calf to protest against the government’s notification to restrict the sale of cattle in the markets for slaughter purpose.
https://twitter.com/Nesenag/status/1059314907621941249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/iMac_too/status/1059313823218200576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
While others appreciated him taking a strong stand against brutal animal slaughter, especially during Eid.
https://twitter.com/sankrant/status/1059312502071271424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/LegalKant/status/1059356556041641984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
And some pointed out how other leaders are actually treating the animals, the protection of which is mocked regularly by the so-called liberal ecosystem.
https://twitter.com/iAnkurSingh/status/1059321055108587521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/AshishkuDwi/status/1059357679318065152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Others, of course, had their own share of conspiracy theories of estranged family members finally getting back together before 2019 elections.
https://twitter.com/iMac_too/status/1059317152996515840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Or maybe it is just that after the soft Hindutva approach Rahul Gandhi has been taking all these months, he may graduate to extending his support to the Gau Rakshaks (cow protectors), who is regularly mocked by the so-called liberals.