‘A judgment given by someone who is in anger’: Maneka Gandhi opposes SC ruling on Delhi's stray dogs

New Delhi: Animal rights activist and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi sharply criticised the Supreme Court’s directive regarding stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, describing the order as "impractical", "financially unviable", and "potentially harmful" to the region’s ecological balance.

The Supreme Court on Monday termed the stray dog problem "extremely grim" and instructed the Delhi government and municipal bodies to begin removing stray dogs from all areas and placing them in shelters, warning of strict consequences for anyone hindering the effort.

Gandhi terms the order impractical

Gandhi argued that the sheer scale of the task rendered it "unworkable".

"You have three lakh dogs in Delhi. To get them all off the roads, you'll have to make 3,000 pounds, each with drainage, water, a shed, a kitchen, and a watchman. That will cost about Rs 15,000 crore. Does Delhi have Rs 15,000 crore for this?" she told the media.

She added that feeding the impounded dogs would require an additional Rs 5 crore per week, a cost which she warned could trigger public backlash.

Gandhi claimed the case was taken up "for absolutely no reason" based on a false media report that dogs had attacked a girl who, as confirmed by her parents, had "unfortunately" died of meningitis.

She suggested the ruling may have been issued "in anger" without proper consideration of its practicality.

More balanced order came a month ago

The former minister also questioned the legality of the directive, pointing out that another Supreme Court bench had delivered a "balanced judgment" on the same matter just a month earlier.

"Now, after one month, a two-member bench gives another judgment which says 'sabko pakdo'. Which judgment is valid? Obviously, the first one, because that's a settled judgment," Gandhi said.

She further warned that removing strays could create unintended ecological disruptions.

"Within 48 hours, three lakh dogs will come from Ghaziabad, Faridabad because there's food in Delhi. And once you remove the dogs, monkeys will come on the ground... I've seen this happen at my own house. In Paris in the 1880s, when they removed dogs and cats, the city was overrun with rats," she said, describing dogs as "rodent control animals".

Relocation leads to violence

Gandhi emphasised that the government already had a well-considered plan to manage the stray dog population and reduce bite incidents. This included strict enforcement of sterilisation, anti-rabies and distemper vaccinations, a ban on relocation, and improved monitoring of Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres.

"If the relocation stops, the biting will stop," she stated, blaming current relocation practices for much of the violence.

She recommended that ABC centres operate within specific zones, be run exclusively by Animal Welfare Board-recognised organisations, and be overseen by committees of local residents.

Gandhi also raised concerns about the unregulated sale of pet dogs, claiming that "70 per cent of bites are from pet dogs and 30 per cent from street dogs".

"This government was extremely serious about adopting our 14-point plan. Within two years, we could have fewer dogs, no biting, and a happy coexistence between humans and animals," she said. "Now this judgment derails everything."

The BJP leader also warned that the court’s directive could lead to confrontations on the streets.

"To get them into pounds, you will have a pitched battle with feeders in every street because they will beat you up and make the dogs run away. Why are we destabilising Delhi?" she said.

Delhi govt complies with SC ruling

The Delhi government has indicated it will comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the stray dog menace had reached a "gigantic proportion" and assured that a policy would soon be introduced to implement the order in a systematic manner.

Delhi Development Minister Kapil Mishra expressed support for the move, saying it would "free the city from the fear of rabies and stray animals".

PTI