President of Vishwa Prani Kalyana Mandali Sri Dayanand Swami has appealed to the people of Davangere and surrounding villages not to sacrifice any animal during the ‘Duggamma Jatre’ being held in the city on Tuesday.
Addressing presspersons in Davangere on Monday, Dayanand Swami, who has been campaigning against animal sacrifice across the country, said that while the law had already prohibited any kind of animal sacrifice around places of worship, people continued to indulge in such illegal practices secretly.
The seer said that during the meeting with the temple committee members, they had assured that they would not be carrying out any animal sacrifice but would symbolically draw blood from the bull and offer it to the goddess.
“However they expressed their helplessness in preventing any type of animal sacrifice from the devotees in the surrounding areas as there would be huge crowd. I appeal to the sensible citizens of Davangere and surrounding villages not to resort any such sacrifice of bull, goat or sheep or hen during the jatra,” he said.
The seer said that as per the court order animal sacrifice had been banned and those indulging in such sacrifices were punishable under the law of the land.
The mandali had been organising awareness campaigns to dissuade people from indulging in such activities in the name of religion, he said.
He said the district authorities had also assured taking requisite measures to prevent any such sacrifices. However the onus was on the people themselves and they should refrain from carrying out any such sacrifices, he said.
