Amulya Kumar Pati By

Express News Service

JAJPUR: Bharatiya Jantha Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah’s on-going Odisha tour courted controversy today after a vehicle of his convoy hit and injured a cow on its way to the Jajpur district of the state.

Sources said a Tavera, in which a group of BJP leaders were traveling, hit the animal near Bandalo Chhack between Chhatia and Barchana on NH-16.

The cow reportedly came on the line of speeding vehicles from the left side of the road.

It was not known whether the vehicles carrying Shah and the Union ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan had already crossed the spot before the accident.

“The vehicle, which hit the cow, was carrying a lotus symbol and the letters 'VIP' was written on its front glass," a witness said.

Former party MLA Pratap Sarangi who was following Shah’s vehicle stopped at the spot and arranged for the cow's treatment. He reportedly spoke to a senior police officer who sent two cops from the nearby Barchana and Bairi police stations to take care of the injured animal.

“The police officials came with a Livestock Inspector (LI) and got the cow treated. I left the place after the animal was sent to Chhatia veterinary dispensary. Its two legs were fractured and a piece of bone had come out of one of them. Though I was getting late for the meeting, I decided to treat the cow first,” said Sarangi.

The witness said the cow was earlier hit by an ambulance and a fire-tender vehicle and had fallen flat on the road with its legs fractured.

The former MLA said the animal was receiving initial treatment at the veterinary hospital. The broken legs will be plastered once the wounds are healed.