Peacock feather row: Maneka Gandhi calls for rethink on exemptions, cites wildlife law loopholes

BJP leader and prominent animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has reignited a fierce national debate over the commercial use of peacock feathers. Speaking to the media in the capital on Thursday, Gandhi vehemently questioned the existing exemptions under India's wildlife protection laws, alleging that regulatory loopholes are actively driving the illegal hunting of the country's national bird. Arguing for a more integrated approach to conservation, Gandhi emphasised that environmental protection, animal welfare, and social responsibility are fundamentally "different expressions of the same idea." The core of Gandhi's argument traces back to…