Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has alleged negligence on the part of chief minister Yogi Adityanth-led State government after a Sarus crane, whose ‘friendship’ with one Arif Khan Gurjar from Mandka village in the State had warmed many hearts, was relocated by forest department officials.

Videos of the crane following Arif everywhere and flying alongside his motorcycle had been widely shared on social media and the bond between man and bird had become a headturner with passerbys clicking videos and photos of the duo. Arif had saved the injured bird’s life and nursed it to recovery at his home. The bird formed a bond with the man and used to follow it everywhere. The Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Sarus crane is now “missing” from the Samaspur Bird Sanctuary in Rae Bareilly where it had been released by forest officials.

He said that “bird lovers from around the world will agitate” if the state government is unable to find the ‘Sarus’.

The SP leader took to Twitter to post, “The famous Sarus, which was forcibly taken away from Amethi by the UP Forest Department and released in the Samaspur Bird Sanctuary in Rae Bareilly, is now missing. Such government negligence towards the state bird of UP is a serious matter. The BJP government should immediately find the Sarus, otherwise, the bird lovers of the whole world will agitate. Shameful”.

Akhilesh Yadav further stated that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath can even christen the bird as he wishes but he should save the bird’s life.

“If the Chief Minister wishes, he can give some name to the missing crane, but find him and save his life. That Saras is also as dear to the whole of Uttar Pradesh as Golu is to the Chief Minister,” Yadav tweeted.

Earlier Akhilesh Yadav had met Arif, who was keeping this bird inside the house in Amethi district’s Mandkha village. Forest department officials on Tuesday took the bird away from Arif stating that the bird needs to live in its natural environment.

Earlier Akhilesh Yadav on Twitter wrote that UP forest department action said that BJP finds happiness by giving sorrow to others. “The BJP people do not love the environment of love, whether it is love between man and man or between man and bird. Those who find their happiness in their sorrow by giving sorrow to others can never be happy,” Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.

Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday also said that UP Government took this action because he had gone to meet with Arif.

Addressing a press conference, the SP leader said, “It is because I went to meet that person the bird was snatched from him. Is this democracy?

Government should also take away peacocks from those who were feeding grains to the bird”.

It has to be noted that the Sarus crane is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh.