Maneka Gandhi asked to focus on other serious issues like urge to tackle related issues like illegal meat shops and unregulated chicken centres
Maneka Gandhi argued thattaking dogs away from specific areas would not provide a permanent solution File pic.
Amid ongoing debate over the Supreme Court’s ruling on stray dogs in Delhi, BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi appealed to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to review the decision with compassion, stressing that “our goals are the same,” reported ANI.
Speaking to ANI, Gandhi argued that removing dogs from certain areas is not a lasting solution.
"Nobody favours the ill-treatment of animals. They believe that if animals are taken away, their children would not be bitten. I agree with that. But the animals would not go away. If we remove 3 lakh animals from Delhi, 3 lakh more would come in within a week from Ghaziabad and Faridabad. If those additional 3 lakh are removed, more would come in because there is abundant food in Delhi."
She also highlighted the role of unregulated meat businesses and urged action against illegal chicken centres and unlicensed shops, reported ANI.
"You have more than 50,000 illegal chicken centres in Delhi. You have meat shops that function without a license. So, the law should come into effect for that too. Otherwise, it would never end..."
Reiterating her plea, Gandhi said, "I would want the CJI to review it with love and see what the best way is, because our goal is the same. We too want fewer dogs, we want no biting, and we want humans and dogs & every animal to live in peace."
Responding to criticism, the Supreme Court on Wednesday clarified that its directive to remove stray dogs from all localities in Delhi-NCR was not made on a “momentary impulse” but after extensive thought, citing repeated failures by authorities over more than 20 years to address a public safety issue, reported ANI.
A bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Madadev said the apex court intervened due to a “systematic failure of the authorities” to handle a matter significantly affecting public welfare.
According to the detailed order released the same day, the court said its directions were in the “interest of humans as well as dogs” and stressed, “This is not personal.”
As reported by ANI, on August 11, the court ordered that every locality in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad must be cleared of stray dogs, with no exceptions.
It further ruled that once an animal is captured, it will not be released back on the streets, reported ANI.
In its written order, the court noted that it had studied the situation for an extended period, heard those directly affected, and examined a troubling rise in dog bite cases across the country.
(Inputs from ANI)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
