“My lions have died, I want an inquiry into it” says Mulayam Singh in Lok Sabha demanding probe into death of two big cats

New Delhi, August 10 :Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh has questioned the cause of death of the two lions that were gifted to Uttar Pradesh by Gujarat and sought a probe into the death of the big cats.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he said the two lions were gifted by Gujarat to the Etawah Wildlife Lion Safari Park, a dream project of the UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and himself.

“My lions have died. (Narendra) Modi (as Gujarat chief minister) had gifted us. I want an inquiry into it. How did they die? What were the reasons? If there were shortcomings on our side, we will rectify. But I want a probe,” Yadav said as reported by the Hindustan Times.

Environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said he would try to find out the reasons agreeing to the request of a probe.

Altogether four lions were gifted to Uttar Pradesh by Gujarat three years ago.

Consequtively, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia asked if some lions — at least 40 — could be relocated from Gir National Park of Gujarat to Panna Reserve Forest in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia’s question prompted several MPs from Gujarat to say that lions of their state were not for Madhya Pradesh, with the topic beginning an argument with the Congress leader.

Minister Dave declined to reply to the question saying it was far from the main question on biodiversity parks.

The dispute between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh over translocation of lions from Gir has in the past reached the Supreme court with the top court ruling that the species was facing the threat of extinction and was in dire need of a second home.

However, Gujarat has filed a review petition against this order. The state contends that lions would not be safe in Madhya Pradesh, citing that tiger population in Panna Reserve Forest, where numbers have been dwindling.

Responding to another question, Dave said the environment ministry had not formulated any plan for the development of biodiversity parks anywhere in India.

However, the Delhi Development Authority has created the Delhi biodiversity foundation under the chairmanship of the lieutenant governor.

“The foundation has taken initiative to develop six biodiversity parks on the land under the DDA’s jurisdiction. Compensation paid to the land-oustees or whose land had been acquired for the development of biodiversity parks falls within the preview of concerned land departments of state governments,” he said.