Taking cue from State Forest officials, residents in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh have also slammed the decision of the Gujarat Government to disallow the translocation of Asiatic lions to the Palpur-Kuno sanctuary. The residents have described the Gujarat Government's move as anti-tourism, and one that will hamper employment prospects in the area. Top forest officials in Madhya Pradesh claim that Gujarat does not want to share its Asiatic lions fearing that it could hamper tourism prospects in the State, as MP already attracts a sizeable number of tourists with its Tiger State tag. At present, the two BJP-ruled States are locked in a legal wrangle over the matter in the Supreme Court. During the last few years, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has bluntly refused to part with the Asiatic lions with Madhya Pradesh. Annoyed with the repeated denials, a daylong bandh was observed in Shepur to protest the attempts to stall the translocation on January 4. The bandh call was given by the Sheopur District Youth Congress president Atul Chouhan, who has demanded that the lions should be immediately translocated to the Palpur-Kuno sanctuary in the district. Chouhan claimed that the sanctuary was equipped to accommodate the new members, adding that a total of 28 villages have been moved out of the sanctuary till now. The Youth Congress leader asserted that around 6,500 families, mostly tribals, have handed over their farmlands to the Forest department to pave the way for the arrival of the Asiatic Lions in the area. "Now, the residents of 28 villages and other adjoining areas feel that they have been cheated, as they were hoping to get jobs with the establishment of the second home for the lions," he said. Chauhan said it was time for Gujarat to pay back by handing Asiatic lions, and recalled that the people of Madhya Pradesh have sacrificed their land twice -- first in Palpur-Kuno and second time in Harsud in Khandwa district for the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada. The Youth Congress leader further said that the shifting of lions to Palpur-Kuno will give a boost to wildlife tourism in the area, as it is situated close to Rajasthan's Ranthambore sanctuary where a large number of foreign tourists arrive every year, and also help create fresh employment opportunities.