Kovvuru, Andhra Pradesh:
A shocking video has surfaced in which Congress workers in Andhra Pradesh's Kovvuru town have been seen stuffing live pigeons inside fire crackers and setting it alight.
The idea was that the pigeons will be released when the rockets burst and fly off - making for a grand spectacle during the visit of state Congress chief N Raghuveera Reddy.
But the rockets went up and the pigeons fell dead, roasted in the intense heat when the crackers burst high up.
In the video, the pigeons were seen being stuffed into paper cones fixed atop rockets. A cardboard lid was put on it and sealed tight. The rocket was then lit.
An NGO - People For Animals has filed a complaint with the police and an FIR has been lodged against the state Congress unit citing cruelty to animals. Cruelty to animals carries a punishment in India.
The local Congress unit is yet to comment on the matter.