Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress, expressed his strong disapproval on Tuesday of the Supreme Court's recent order to the Delhi-NCR civic authorities to capture and permanently relocate all stray dogs. Gandhi claimed that the order was 'cruel and shortsighted and stripped us of compassion', calling it 'a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.'
In a post on the social media platform X, Gandhi emphasised that these animals are not 'problems to be erased'. He advocated for alternative, more humane solutions, stating, "Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination and community care can keep streets safe — without cruelty." He concluded his post by asserting that public safety and animal welfare 'can go hand in hand'.
In a ruling released Monday, the Supreme Court ordered civic officials in Delhi, Noida, and Gurugram to apprehend 5,000 stray dogs from high-risk areas in a span of six weeks. According to the directive, these dogs must be sterilised and housed in shelters indefinitely.
In addition, the bench, presided over by Justice JB Pardiwala, cautioned against releasing any captured dogs and mandated the establishment of new dog shelters within eight weeks. The court further declared that anyone who interferes with the process will face severe consequences.
"Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies," the bench said, describing the rising number of dog bite cases and rabies deaths as a "serious situation" and emphasising that "no sentiments of any nature can be involved" in addressing this issue.
Animal welfare groups have strongly opposed the court's decision. PETA India's Senior Director of Veterinary Affairs, Dr Mini Aravindan, cautioned that mass removals are against international best practices and lack scientific backing. "Communities view neighbourhood dogs as family, and it is not scientific and has never worked to relocate and imprison dogs," she said.
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The CEO of the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), Bharati Ramachandran, also referred to the order as a 'shocking judgement' and warned that displacing stable, vaccinated dog populations could cause a 'vacuum effect', which could increase the risk of rabies. Instead of removing dogs, both groups have urged the government to focus on mass vaccination and sterilisation campaigns.
Public protests have also been triggered by the controversy. Several animal rights activists were protesting the decision at India Gate on Tuesday when Delhi Police filed a case against them. The action was taken because of security concerns before Independence Day, officials said.
Prominent Bollywood actors Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Vir Das, Varun Grover, and Chinmayi Sripaada have also criticised the Supreme Court's decision on social media, calling it a 'death sentence for all dogs'.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has acknowledged in the midst of the dispute that the capital's current infrastructure is 'far from adequate' to satisfy the Supreme Court's orders. According to the sources, Delhi only has 20 sterilisation facilities, which can treat about 2,500 dogs at once, and no dedicated dog shelters. At least 70 per cent of the dogs must be sterilised in order to effectively control the stray dog population, a goal that the existing facilities are unlikely to achieve.
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