Gogoi Slams Centre for Claiming Credit for Rising Rhino Population

Gogoi applauds Assam for the rising rhino population and asks the Centre why so many lions are dying.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi (Photo: The Quint)

Taking a dig at Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar for crediting the Centre for the rise in rhino populace in Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday credited conservation efforts of the state government for the rise.

If the central government is so eager to claim the credit, it should also own up the “discredit” for its “failure” in checking the dwindling population of Asiatic lions in Gujarat’s Gir forest, Gogoi said.

The rise in deaths of Asiatic lions has posed a threat to its very existence.

<b>Tarun Gogoi, CM, Assam</b>

Gogoi’s comments were significant in the backdrop of Gujarat, considered as the favourite state of the saffron party.

The Assam Chief Minister advocated for exhaustive conservation effort in Gujarat on the lines of such effort in Kaziranga National Park in Assam claiming his government has succeeded in increasing the number of rhino population despite several hurdles.

According to reports, 76 lion deaths occurred in 2013, 78 in 2014, while the number went upto to 91 in 2015, in Gujarat.

In the last five years over 300 lion deaths have been reported in Gujarat.