Khandwa: He arrived at a public hearing not as a complainant in person, but as a dog.

Wearing a dog mask, a man joined a protest at the Khandwa Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh, drawing attention to allegations of corruption in the civic body's stray dog sterilisation programme.

The unusual demonstration, held on Tuesday, quickly became a talking point after photographs and videos of the protest went viral on social media.

But for the man behind the mask, the stunt was more than an attempt to grab attention. He said he wanted to speak up for stray dogs who, he alleged, were being blamed for a problem created by the civic administration.

"I did this for justice," the protester said.

According to him, dogs were being "defamed" while funds meant for their sterilisation were allegedly being misused.

"We are being defamed, but the real fault lies with the Nagar Nigam. They are committing corruption in our name, in the name of sterilising us," he said.

The protester alleged that money had been allocated for sterilising stray dogs, but that the programme had failed to achieve its purpose. He claimed the resulting increase in the stray dog population had led to growing complaints against the animals.

His argument was simple: the dogs should not be blamed for a problem they did not create.

"People feel that we bite them, but we are not at fault," he said, adding that stray dogs had also been left without the food they once received.

"Earlier, we used to get something to eat, but that doesn't happen anymore. So, we will obviously chase after people," he said.

'We are loyal animals'

Speaking through the symbolic protest, the man appealed to the district administration to investigate the alleged misuse of funds and take action against those responsible.

"We are such loyal animals. They received funds in the name of sterilising us, but no sterilisation was done and it led to a rise in our population," he alleged.

The protest was backed by Khandwa Municipal Corporation Leader of the Opposition Deepak Mullu Rathore, who submitted a complaint seeking an investigation into the civic body's funds and procedures relating to stray dog sterilisation.

Rathore accused the corporation of corruption and demanded an impartial probe into the alleged lapses.

"If government funds are misused in the name of sterilisation, the entire matter should be investigated impartially and action should be taken against the culprits," he told PTI.

Administration orders probe

Additional Collector Kashiram Badole said that people wearing dog masks had attended the public hearing and submitted applications alleging misappropriation of funds meant for dog sterilisation.

He said the civic commissioner had been contacted over the allegations.

A committee will now be formed to investigate the matter and establish the facts, Badole said.

Meanwhile, the man who became the face of the protest said he was confident that his unusual appeal would not be ignored.

"I know I went viral. I am confident that I will get justice," he said.