Assam government said elephant Joymala belongs to Assam and sought its return from Tamil Nadu
The spat between the governments of Assam and Tamil Nadu over leased elephants - particularly temple elephant Joymala - has now reached the court. Assam government today filed a petition in Gauhati High Court after Tamil Nadu refused to return the elephants, even as the Central government endorsed Tamil Nadu's claim that Joymala was being looked after well. The Ministry of Environment and Forest today tweeted, saying the present team is taking good care of the jumbo and recent visuals of cruelty to the animal were old.
Controversy erupted after animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released a video, claiming that Joymala was being subjected to cruelty at a temple in Tamil Nadu. Reacting to the video, the Tamil Nadu government said Joymala was "absolutely doing good" and tweeted a video of the elephant, countering PETA's video.
"Elephant Joymala in Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. Absolutely doing good. Taken good care by the present team. Bathing facility has also been created. Some fake videos are circulating in social media. This video is taken today (5.9.22)," the tweet said, tagging PETA India.
Following the claims and counter-claims, representatives from Assam government visited Tamil Nadu to check on Joymala, but access was reportedly denied.
MK Yadava, Assam's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, said today: "In the petition, we stated that the elephant [Joymala] is ours and we asked for its return [from Tamil Nadu]. There is no legal connection between a 'gift' and a 'lease'. The elephants were given on lease and it is the duty of the person to return the animal. We had earlier appealed to them [Tamil Nadu] to return the elephants." Assam claims it had leased nine elephants, including Joymala, to Tamil Nadu.
Several celebrities also took up the cause. Actor Madhuri Dixit called for Joymala to be sent to a rescue centre in her tweet tagging Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.