Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, calling it a reversal of decades of humane, science-backed policy. He argued that “blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion,” emphasising that shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, and community care can keep streets safe without resorting to mass removal.
His comments came a day after the Supreme Court ordered Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all stray dogs to shelters “at the earliest” in view of an “extremely grim” situation caused by dog bites and rabies, particularly affecting children.
The apex court directed the creation of shelters for about 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks, staffed for sterilisation, vaccination, and care, and monitored via CCTV to ensure animals remain inside. It also warned of strict action, including contempt proceedings, against anyone obstructing the removal of strays.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan questioned animal activists, asking if they could “bring back children” who died from rabies, stressing the need for decisive action in the face of public health threats.
The suo motu case was initiated on July 28 after reports of rabies deaths linked to stray dog bites in Delhi. The order applies to the Delhi government as well as the civic bodies of Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad.
