Congress activists protest against tiger reserve in Hebri

H. Gopal Bhandary, Congress leader and former Karkala MLA, said on Saturday that more than 1,400 families would be affected due to the decision of the Union government to create a tiger reserve in Kudremukh National Park. He was speaking at a protest organised by the Congress party against the tiger reserve at Hebri in Udupi district. Mr. Bhandary said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to power promising good days to the people. Instead, it had decided to create a tiger reserve in the Kudremukh National Park. More than 1,400 families, including those belonging to the Malekudiya community, living in 32 villages would be affected due to the tiger reserve. But the BJP which had opposed the tiger reserve in the run up to the parliamentary elections was now maintaining silence on this issue, he said. The Congress would fight against the tiger reserve until it was withdrawn, Mr. Bhandary said. -TOI