SILCHAR, Oct 5 - The decision to display caged birds for puja revellers has turned into a vortex of controversy for Udharbondh Kalibari Puja Committee this year.
With an intention to attract greater footfall, this year the organisers decided to erect a replica of Akshardham Temple of Delhi.
However, keeping birds inside the pandal premises as a ploy to pull more crowds has drawn flak from all quarters. Netizens too have targeted the organisers and blamed them of suffocating the exotic birds.
Responding to the public outcry over alleged violation of animals rights, Deputy Commissioner Laya Madduri on Friday asked the puja organisers to remove the birds from the pandal.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Madduri said, �caging birds is a form of torture to them. Hence the committee has been asked to remove the birds from the pandal premises.�
She was quick to inform that as per documents produced by the committee, the birds were found to be exotic and do not fall under the Forest Act norms.
Meanwhile, Sankar Roy, general secretary of the puja committee told mediapersons that they had purchased the birds and there are proper legal documents to support their claims.
The display was planned for generating awareness about the birds and entertainment to the puja revellers, he maintained.
