BENGULURU: The Centre has pulled up the Karnataka govt for issuing a notification that seeks the return or surrender of wildlife articles by people under the amended Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Calling the decision "bad in law", Centre directed state to roll it back immediately .
Karnataka had issued a notification on Jan 10 after passing an amendment to the Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972, which said "illegal" wildlife artifacts must be surrendered within 30 days of the notification. The law took shape after a participant in a Kannada TV reality show was arrested for sporting tiger claws in 2023.
Within days, the Centre wrote a note to the state govt asking for an immediate withdrawal of the notification. The letter issued by Rakesh Kumar Jagenia, deputy inspector general of forests (wildlife) on Jan 24, stated: "The notification is bad in law." Karnataka govt can chalk out its stand after the model code of conduct ends and the Lok Sabha results are announced in June.
Journalist by profession, 15 years in the field with Politics and...
Read MoreJournalist by profession, 15 years in the field with Politics and Policy as forte. He is an Assistant Editor with Bengaluru bureau and Karnataka as his jurisdiction. Has a Masters degree in Ancient History and Archaeology from Mysore University along with a PGDJ from the Asian College of Journalism.
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