Rahul Khanna wants ban on kite `manjas`

Rahul has sent a letter on behalf of PETA India to Union Minister for Environment and Forests, requesting her to ban `manjas`.

Mumbai: Rahul Khanna has sent a letter on behalf of PETA India to Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, requesting her to ban the sale and use of glass coated kite strings or `manjas` ahead of Independence Day.

The 39-year-old actor made the plea after learning that thousands of birds are maimed or killed by coming in contact of the glass-coated strings. "Something this dangerous should be considered a deadly weapon and must be outlawed without delay. Please, won`t you prevent more senseless suffering and deaths by banning glass-coated manja throughout India?" wrote Khanna. The `manja` used in kite-flying competitions is often gummed and coated with powdered and finely crushed glass, making it lethal for birds, who are slashed, wounded and killed when they become entangled in the strings. Besides birds, it also poses a threat to people. PTI