SL Bhojegowda said that children of the poor are affected by the stray dog menace while the kids of ministers, judges and legislators may not be. Karnataka member of the legislative council (MLC) SL Bhojegowda made a shocking claim on the floor of the house, saying he got 2,500 stray dogs poisoned to address the issue.
According to the JDS MLC, the dogs were buried in coconut gardens and coffee estates. His statement came days after the Supreme Court of India issued an order to remove stray dogs from localities in Delhi NCR. “To address the stray dog menace, 2,500 dogs were killed and buried in coconut gardens and coffee estates,” Gowda said, claiming that the dogs were fed poisoned meat. Bhojegowda said that the stray dog menace affects the children of the poor, while it may not affect the children of ministers, judges, and legislators.
“Children of judges, ministers and legislators, who travel by cars and other vehicles, may not be affected. But children from poor families, who walk to school, face the danger of being attacked by stray dogs. The menace is prevalent even in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park,” he said.
Supreme Court order on stray dogs in Delhi NCR
On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be picked up within eight weeks and housed in shelters to be created by the appropriate authorities. A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, hearing a petition registered on its own motion on the “alarming and disturbing” rise in stray dog attacks, ordered contempt proceedings against any individual or organisation that attempts to obstruct the authorities from carrying out the capture drive.
“Round up all stray dogs from all localities, including localities on the outskirts of Delhi, and shift them to some other place…Whether sterilised or not sterilised, the society must feel free and safe. You should not have any stray dogs roaming around,” the bench said. It also directed that authorities in Delhi-NCR must set up a helpline so all dog bite complaints can be registered, with the offending animal picked up “within four hours” of a complaint.
