NEW DELHI: After its billboard urging people to go vegan to help combat deadly diseases such as avian influenza was removed by order of the municipal corporation of Bhopal, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India sent a letter to commissioner KVS Choudary urging him to allow PETA India to put the hoarding back on display.

In the meantime, PETA India has replaced the bird flu billboard with a temporary ad pointing out that all animals feel emotions such as pain and fear, encouraging people to shut down speciesism, the old belief that despite their extraordinary abilities and intelligence, all other animal species are inferior to our own and that it’s acceptable to exploit them.

“The public deserves to know that opposing speciesism and preventing outbreaks of deadly diseases can be as simple as keeping meat, eggs, and dairy off our plates,” says PETA India vegan outreach coordinator Kiran Ahuja. “PETA India is calling on officials to permit the original billboard to be reinstated for everyone’s safety.”