Rahul Gandhi visits Wayanad; meets families of elephant attack victims

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, 18 February, visited the houses of two victims of the recent wild elephant attacks in this high range district, and consoled their family members.

Gandhi reached neighbouring Kannur district on Saturday night after halting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Varanasi abruptly in the wake of intense protests by locals seeking solutions to the human-animal conflicts in his constituency.

From Kannur, he proceeded to Wayanad by road and was accompanied by AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and other local leaders.

He spent over 20 minutes at the house of Aji (42), who was trampled to death by a radio-collared elephant in the Mananthavady area of Wayanad district triggering massive protests last week.

Later, he visited the residence of Paul, an eco-tourism guide of the forest department who was killed by a wild tusker near Kuruva island on Friday and spent some time there.

The MP is also expected to visit the house of Prajeesh who was killed in a tiger attack recently.

Gandhi will also attend an assessment and review meeting with the district officials at the PWD rest house in Kalpetta before leaving for Allahabad in the afternoon.

Attacks on livestock and humans are frequently being reported from Wayanad of late.

A hartal called by various political parties in protest against the increasing wild animal attacks in the region turned violent here on Saturday.