Mass cow deaths: BJP expels arrested leader Harish Verma

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh BJP expelled party leader Harish Verma who was arrested on Friday after mass cow deaths were reported from his bovine shelters in Durg and Bemetara districts. Verma worked as vice-president of Jamul Municipal Council and is presently in jail till September, as per court orders.
Confirming the same, BJP spokesperson Sachidanand Upasne told TOI, “Harish Verma, the vice-president of Jamul Municipal Council has been expelled from party with immediate effect after it was found that hundreds of cows have died and many ailing at his three shelter homes in Durg and Bemetara districts.”
The party works towards welfare of cows and such inhuman act by the party worker won’t be tolerated, hence, he has been expelled, Upasne said.
Meanwhile, even as main opposition Congress plans for massive agitation against cow deaths across the state on August 24, 28 and 30, party leaders who visited the shelters in past two days have levelled serious allegations against Verma.
Congress spokesperson Gyanesh Sharma told TOI, “Firstly, the government is trying to cover the number of deaths, as we found hundreds of carcasses stuffed in tractor trolley on the premises of all the three shelters. Even the ailing cows were dumped with the dead ones to die.”
Moreover, out of greed to get maximum grant from Gau Sewa Aayog, Verma had shoved in hundreds of cows against the permissible capacity of shelter.
Hitting out at Verma, Sharma said, “The BJP leader Harish Verma neither gave fodder nor water to the animals, he actually wanted them to die. According to the eye-witnesses and villagers, Verma used to sell skin and bones of cows and used to supply its meat for the wild animals in Maitri Bagh Zoo in Bhilai.”
Refuting the claims of the government that the situation was under control, Sharma said that though there were medical teams at Rajpur shelter but no team is available for treating the animals at Godmarra and Rano villages in Bemetara and the cows are still dying.
Congress leaders would visit Delhi on Tuesday and would also submit a detailed report about the incident to Congress high command and address a press conference in New Delhi.