Wayanad: Hurt by the BJP's parochial politics The family of a Keralite man, trampled to death by an elephant radio-collared by Karnataka's Forest Department, has turned down a compensation of Rs 15 lakh announced by the Karnataka government.
Ajeesh Joseph Panachiyil (42) of Payyampalli near Mananthavady in Wayanad was trampled to death by the rogue wild elephant named Belur Makhna on February 10.
In a letter, made public on February 26, his family said, "we are grateful to Rahul Gandhi and the Karnataka Government for their intervention. However, nothing can replace our loss. Thought everyone would be with us in this time of grief. But when we learned that the BJP in Karnataka tried to politicise the issue, we were hurt. Their response was inhuman. Given the circumstance, we reject the financial aid respectfully”.
On February 19, a day after Wayanad MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called on Ajeesh's family, Karnataka's Congress-led government announced a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to Ajeesh's family.
The same day, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra took to social media X and said that the Karnataka government's decision to compensate the family was an "outrageous misuse of Karnataka taxpayers’ funds to curry favor with Rahul Gandhi".
On February 21, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra took to social media X and said that the Karnataka government's decision to compensate the family was an "outrageous misuse of Karnataka taxpayers’ funds to curry favor with Rahul Gandhi".
Illegally allocating state fund of Rs 15 lakh to a deceased individual from RahulGandhi's Wayanad constituency, falsely blaming an elephant from Karnataka is an appalling betrayal, wrote the son of B S Yediyurappa with the hashtag Congress Loots Karnataka.
"Amidst crippling drought and hundreds of farmers committing suicides across Karnataka, the Congress Party government shamelessly prioritises pleasing Rahul Gandhi over addressing the state's urgent needs," he wrote.
Leader of Opposition R Ashok was quoted in The Hindu as saying: “Is Karnataka the personal property of the Congress to release funds from Kannadigas’ tax to Kerala victim as per the advice of Kerala MPs Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal?”
Responding to the allegations, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwara Khandre had said, "The BJP was against humanity". The compensation was given on humanitarian grounds because the elephant was under Karnataka's observation, he said.
Union Forest Minister Bhupander Yadav, who visited Wayanad, responded that he was not aware of the matter.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government had announced the statuary compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family. Other voluntary organisations and individuals have also offered support to the family.
