BJP MLA attacked for not controlling elephant menace

Chikkamagaluru: A few residents of the Hullemane Kunduru village in Mudigere taluk attacked the MLA of the constituency after he visited the village. M P Kumaraswamy, the BJP MLA wanted to offer condolences to the family of the woman who was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Sunday.

Shobha Amritha (45) was out in the forest near the village collecting some fodder for her cattle when she was trampled by a wild elephant and succumbed to injuries. Following this incident, the MLA wanted to visit her family on Monday. The residents of the village, however, felt that it is the MLA's duty to control the elephant menace. They then assaulted the MLA on his visit to the village. When the situation could not be controlled, police resorted to lathi charge to save him from the mob.

This incident led to the arrest of 10 villagers who assaulted the MLA.

A video of the MLA showing him in torn clothes surfaced in which he was seen saying that this attack was planned. The villagers even refused to conduct the deceased woman's funeral till they get word from the government officials about a permanent solution to the menace.