Breaking: CJI Orders Re-Examination of Stray Dog Verdict!

The Supreme Court directive to remove the canines from Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks and confine them permanently in pounds, and expand shelter capacity at speed, ignited outrage from several politicians and celebrities. Many of the celebrities condemned it as “illogical”. The Delhi government vowed to deal with the serious problem at the earliest.

Following a severe backlash from several people, who opposed the orders and condemning the directive, Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai said that he would look into the matter. In a fresh development, the CJI constituted a three-judge bench. The order would be re-examined by a larger bench.

Assurance from the CJI came when a plea concerning strays was placed by the Conference for Human Rights (India), for urgent hearing before a bench headed by him.

Union Minister Maneka Gandhi called the move “impractical, financially unviable and ecologically dangerous. She also doubted the feasibility of the plan. Listing down the statistics, she said that Delhi has over 3 lakh strays and to house them all, one would need at least 3,000 pounds, each equipped with proper facilities. This would cost around Rs 15,000 crore. Does Delhi have that kind of money?, she questioned and even warned that housing so many dogs in pounds would require Rs 5 crore a week to feed them.

She also warned of severe ecological consequences. “If dogs are removed, monkeys will descend. Rodent population will explode as it happened in 1880s in Paris when cats and dogs were removed.”

Strays act as natural pest controllers, consuming many rodents.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the apex court’s directive to remove strays from roads was a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy. He said that blanket removal of dogs was cruel, shortsighted, and strips people of compassion. The voiceless souls are not problems to be erased, he said.

Rahul Gandhi’s sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also echoed similar concern and termed the move “horrendously inhumane” as canines are the most beautiful creatures who do not deserve this kind of cruelty.

Several actors and actresses including John Abraham, Raveena Tandon, Janhvi Kapoor, Sada, Varun Dhawan, opposed the SC order.

John Abraham, the first honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, in a letter to Chief Justice BR Gavai, said the street dogs were not strays but rather part of the community and loved by many. “I hope you will agree that these are not strays but community dogs — respected and loved by many, and very much Delhiites in their own right, having lived in the region as neighbours to humans for generations,” Abraham said. He also said that the directive was in conflict with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.