TN officials attacked in Rajasthan now in Gujarat - with cows

Tamil Nadu officials who were attacked by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan are expected to reach here on Sunday along with the 50 cows they have bought for breeding, official sources said on Wednesday.

An Animal Husbandry Department official told IANS on the condition of anonymity that the officials and cows had reached Ahmedabad and would travel by road through Maharashtra as well as Karnataka to reach Tamil Nadu.

The Rajasthan Police escorted them till they crossed into Gujarat, where the Gujarat Police was providing them security, the official said.

He said the Tamil Nadu Police chief had written to his counterparts in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka to provide protection to the officials and the five trucks carrying the cows when they travel through their states.

A team of officials from Tamil Nadu was attacked by cow vigilantes in Barmer in Rajasthan on Sunday night on the suspicion that they were smuggling the cows for slaughter.

The Tamil Nadu officials had gone to Rajasthan to procure the cows under a central government scheme to breed them in the state so as to protect native cow breeds.

They had procured 50 cows and were bringing them to Tamil Nadu when they were attacked.

According to the official here, the cows can be transported only at night as they can't stand the summer heat during the day. - IANS