RAJKOT: In what could embarrass the ruling BJP , which strongly champions cow protection law and ensures to enforce it to the fullest, names of its six leaders from Dhrol taluka in Jamnagar district have figured as accused in illegal trafficking of bullocks meant to be sent to slaughter house.

According to police, BJP leaders — Ganesh Mungra, Jaga Ramani, Hasmukh Ramani, Latipar village sarpanch Lalji, Bhagwat Ramani and Sanjay Patel — are accused of loading 40 bullocks on five trucks meant to be allegedly dispatched to a slaughter house.

Dhrol police station officials impounded the trucks on Sunday night after it left the cattle shed on the outskirts of Latipar village. Four truck drivers were arrested in this connection.

“The accused in the case are local BJP leaders whose names were given by the arrested truck drivers, identified as Saddamhussein Parmar, Firoz Nakani, Manu Parmar and Sattar Kayada — all residents of Rajkot. Ironically, the BJP leaders are trustees of the cattle shed,” said Dhrol police station assistant sub-inspector P D Jalu.

The BJP leaders could also face the charges of cruelty to animals as all four legs of the bullocks were tied and they were jam packed into the trucks with little room for movement. The trucks were headed for a slaughter house in Bodeli in Chhota Udepur.

