‘When Paris Killed Dogs’: What Happened In 1880s And Why Is Maneka Gandhi Warning Delhi?

Maneka Gandhi, a prominent animal rights activist, criticised the Supreme Court’s order to remove stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, deeming it impractical and financially burdensome.

Animal rights activist and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has lashed out at the Supreme Court’s recent directive ordering the removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR. Calling the order “impractical,” “financially unviable,” and potentially harmful to the city’s ecological balance, Gandhi warned of serious consequences if implemented.
The apex court, describing the stray dog menace as “extremely grim,” instructed the Delhi government and civic bodies to begin rounding up strays from all localities and house them in shelters. The court also warned of strict action against anyone obstructing the process.
Gandhi, however, called the scale of the task unmanageable. “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 asked. Feeding the dogs, she added, would require another Rs 5 crore per week, an expense she warned could lead to public outrage.

She also questioned the legal soundness of the order, pointing out that a different Supreme Court bench had delivered a “balanced judgment” on the same issue just a month earlier. “Now, after one month, a two-member bench gives another judgment which says ‘sabko pakdo’ (pick up all). Which judgment is valid? Obviously, the first one, because that’s a settled judgment,” Gandhi said.