Cases booked on Andhra Congress workers for 'pigeon rockets,' state chief apologizes

Cases were registered  by the West Godavari police on Sunday against three Congress workers, for tying firecrackers to pigeons during the visit of Congress state president N Raghuveera Reddy in Kovvur on Saturday .

"We are examining the video footage of the event. We have found two persons responsible for the violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.We have also registered a case against the organiser," Kovvur circle inspector P Prasada Rao told the Times of India.

The incident occurred as Raghuveera Reddy, who was accompanied by former minister Kondru Murali and Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao, crossed the rail-cum-road bridge across Godavari in their convoy.

The pigeons were stuffed into paper cones and sealed tight so they wouldn’t flutter loose. The Congress workers figured that the rocket would burst in the sky and the pigeons would fly free. However, the cracker's explosion completely burnt the birds and they fell to the ground.

Animal rights activists are calling for a detailed enquiry into the incident even as the police add that the accused will be arrested and produced in front of a court.

However, the accused in an interview to TV9 Telugu, refused to admit that the birds died and claimed that the explosion was not as big as the reports claimed. He also threw an open challenge for anyone to show them the dead body of the birds.

He also added that the birds flew away and that this was an old tradition that would continue if necessary.

The Congress' Andhra unit chief Raghuveera Reddy has said that he regretted the party workers' act and added that he will take proper action.

I regret what happened and we will take all precautions in future so that this doesnt repeat: Raghuveera Reddy pic.twitter.com/dHJNetwgjT

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 5, 2015