Panaji (Goa): In response to Goa BJP MLA Michael Lobo's statement, wherein he alleged that stray cattle in the state were "refusing to eat vegetarian food", a Panaji-based cow shelter has confirmed that the stray bovines kept by them are turning "non-vegetarian".
"The local breeds of stray cattle do not eat chicken or mutton willingly. Hotels and restaurants in the Calangute area mix their leftover food items with non-vegetarian food, which is then fed to stray animals," said Kamlakant Tari, President of Gomantak Gosevak Mahasangh.
Tari also confirmed that they are treating the naturally vegetarian cattle in their shelter to rid them of the non-vegetarian diet.
He also said that chicken and mutton bones were found in the digestive system of the stray cattle after they were brought to the shelter from the Calangute beach village and inspected by the shelter's veterinarians.
Earlier, Lobo, who is a BJP MLA from Calangute Assembly constituency, said that stray cattle were refusing to eat vegetarian food and that a specialist veterinarian had been roped in to wean them off their meat fetish.
"We have lifted 76 cattle from Calangute and taken them to the gaushala run by the Gomantak Gosevak Mahasang in Mayem village, where they are being well looked after. We always say cattle are vegetarian. But cattle from Calangute have turned non-vegetarian and do not eat grass, gram or the special cattle feed given to them," Lobo said, on the sidelines of a village function in Arpora village in North Goa on Saturday.
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