LUCKNOW\u2014An Indian snake-charmer released dozens of snakes in a government tax office to protest against officials who had not responded to his complaints about an application for land.<\/p>\n
Local bureaucrats leapt onto their desks or ran out of the building in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh when Hakkul, who uses only one name, let his snakes — including some poisonous cobras — out of three bags on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“He had applied for a plot of land to keep his snakes,” Subhash Mani Tripathi, the head of land revenue administration, told AFP by telephone from the town of Harraiya.<\/p>\n
“But there is no provision for such a business. Instead of seeking a written reply, which we would have issued, Hakkul created panic by letting loose a bunch of snakes all over the office.”<\/p>\n
Workers stood on chairs and shook table clothes at the hissing reptiles to keep them away as excited crowds gathered outside.<\/p>\n
Hakkul later told reporters that a district magistrate had promised him a plot of land for his snakes two years ago.<\/p>\n
“I am a conservationist and have been seeking the government’s help. Having waited patiently for so long, I had no option but to leave all my snakes in this office.”<\/p>\n
No one was injured in the incident, but police said they were still working to collect the snakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An Indian snake-charmer released dozens of snakes in a government tax office to protest against officials who had not responded to his complaints about an application for land.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,43],"tags":[4803,2663,33887,289],"byline":[],"source":[206065],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n