Watch emotional reunion of Arif and sarus crane; Varun Gandhi calls it special story, wants bird freed

New Delhi, April 12

BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Wednesday pitched for the release of a sarus crane from sanctuary and reuniting it with Arif Khan, who had rescued and nursed the bird for around a year before the forest department took it away citing laws.

सारस और आरिफ की कहानी खास है!

एक दूसरे को सामने पा कर इन दोनों दोस्तों की ख़ुशी बता रही है कि इनका प्रेम कितना निश्छल और पवित्र है।

यह खूबसूरत जीव स्वच्छंद आकाश में उड़ने के लिए बना है, पिंजरे में रहने के लिये नहीं।

उसे उसका आसमान, उसकी आजादी और उसका मित्र वापिस लौटा दीजिए। pic.twitter.com/kwUCYn4q2Q

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) April 12, 2023

Their story is special, Gandhi tweeted with the video of the crane fluttering around excitedly in its enclosure while looking at Arif, a resident of Mandkha village of Amethi district, who visited it recently in Kanpur zoo.

Their happiness at seeing each other underscores the innocent and sacred love between the two friends, he said.

This beautiful bird is meant to fly freely and not to live in a cage, Gandhi added.

“It (bird) should be restored its sky, freedom and friend,” the Pilibhit MP said.

Authorities had intervened after the happy videos of the sarus crane and its rescuer went viral and took away the bird, arguing that it was unlawful for anyone to keep the bird in his or her possession. They had also started legal proceedings against him.

The story has taken a political turn as opposition Samajwadi Party has come to Khan’s support and criticised the government action.