PETA, AWP petition EC, PMO over use of tamtam' in RJD campaign

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Animal Welfare Party (AWP) have petitioned the Election Commission and Prime Minister's Office to check use of 'tamtam' (single horse-drawn carriage) by RJD in its campaign for the forthcoming Bihar Assembly election.
The PETA has also written separately to RJD and appealed to it to cancel its plans regarding use of 'tamtams' in the poll campaign, pointing out that it contravenes the 2012 advisory of the EC asking all political parties to refrain from use of animals for political campaigns.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad had recently declared that his party would use 1,000 tamtams to campaign for the upcoming state elections. He even used horse-drawn carriage to enforce Bihar Bandh called on July 27 to press for release of caste census figures by the Centre.

PETA India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura said, "Political parties should try to garner support through ideas, and not by parading around vulnerable animals. We are calling for a halt to RJD plan to use tamtams - and the plans of any political party to use animals - since such use goes directly against the EC advisory restricting use of animals during poll campaigns."
PETA said it believed that animals used in political campaigns were often forced into the middle of screaming crowds, which they found terrifying.
They are easily agitated by loud noise. They are also beaten, forced to carry loads in excess of their physical capacities and denied adequate food and water, it says.

Meanwhile, AWP convenor and master trainer of Animal Welfare Board of India, Naresh Kadian has written to the PMO to immediately halt the use of horse-drawn carriages by RJD in its election campaign.
Talking to PTI, Kadian claimed he has also registered a complaint in New Delhi's Prashant Vihar police station against owners of tamtams which are being used by RJD in its campaign.