The two strands of the Gandhi family finally have a dog in the fight, quite literally.
The Supreme Court order to permanently shift street dogs to shelters has united the divided families for the first time since Maneka Gandhi walked out of Indira Gandhi’s house more than four decades ago.
The Congress’s Rahul and Priyanka and the BJP’s Maneka and Varun spoke in unison about how the “inhumane” order would lead to “institutionalisation of cruelty”.
Terming the directive “a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy”, Rahul posted on X: “These voiceless souls are not ‘problems’ to be erased. Shelters, sterilisation, vaccination & community care can keep streets safe — without cruelty. Blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion. We can ensure public safety and animal welfare go hand in hand.”
Veterinarians treat injured stray dogs at Friendicoes SECA, an animal welfare NGO, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Reuters
Congress MP Priyanka said the directive to shift all stray dogs to shelters within weeks would lead to a “horrendously inhumane treatment of these innocent animals”.
“Enough shelters do not even exist to take them in. As it is, animals in urban surroundings are subjected to ill treatment and brutality. Surely there is a better way to manage the situation and a humane way can be found in which these innocent animals are looked after and kept safe as well,” Priyanka posted on X.
She said dogs did not deserve this kind of cruelty.
Speaking in the same vein, Maneka, who has always been vocal about animal rights, said the order was impractical, financially unviable and potentially harmful to the region’s ecological balance.
“This (Supreme Court) judgment seems to lack rational thought and stems from anger. Strangely, the order is based on a newspaper report of a child killed by dogs, but the family has confirmed the child died of meningitis,” Maneka said.
The founder of People for Animals — one of the country’s largest animal welfare organisations — also highlighted the complications that the Delhi government might encounter while implementing the order.
She said the government would have to acquire land and build shelters complete with caretakers, feeders and watchmen within the court-mandated time frame of eight weeks, entailing a cost of ₹4-5 crore.
Varun said the directive encouraged “institutionalisation of cruelty” and sought to punish those who could not fend for themselves.
“How long before this extends to stray cows, the underprivileged and unauthorised settlements…,” Varun said. “Nations face deeper moral crises when they step away from empathy,” he added.
Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have also questioned the rationale behind the order, given the dearth of shelters in Delhi.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale has written to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai seeking a review of the directive by a larger apex court bench.
“The issue of management of stray dogs as well as safety of people is definitely a matter of concern. However, it is not something that can be resolved by arbitrary orders passed by the judiciary without any larger consultative process. Also, subjecting defenceless animals to wanton cruelty can never be a solution,” Gokhale wrote.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was the responsibility of the Delhi government and municipality to provide shelters and basic facilities to stray dogs.
The Delhi government has indicated it would follow the court’s order, with chief minister Rekha Gupta saying the stray dog menace has assumed “gigantic proportions”.