PETA urges parties not to use animals in election campaigns

Nashik: The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) today asked all political parties not to use animals during election campaigns.

"Political parties should try to garner support through ideas and not by parading around vulnerable animals," says PETA India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura.

PETA said Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav had recently announced plans to use 1,000 horses to pull tam-tams (horse-drawn carriages) during the party's campaign in upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, "which apparently goes against the Election Commission of India's 2012 advisory asking all political parties to refrain from using animals for political campaigns."

"That's why PETA India sent an urgent appeal to RJD to cancel its plans as well as a letter to election authorities. "PETA India is calling for a halt to RJD's plan to use tam tams'and the plans of any political party to use animals since it goes directly against the Election Commission of India's advisory restricting the use of animals during election campaigns," the PETA said.