New Delhi: Former Union minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel, along with several Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs), staged a protest near Rajiv Chowk metro station here on Saturday demanding that stray dogs be shifted to shelter homes and dog bite victims be paid adequate compensation.
The protestors carried placards with messages such as "Dog feed, people bleed", "Stop feeding dogs on streets" and "Make India rabies-free". They raised slogans like "Awara kutto se desh bachao (Save the country from stray dogs)" and called for removal of these canines from public spaces.
Goel said RWAs from south and new Delhi joined the demonstration as dog bite incidents were reportedly rising in the city.
"The Supreme Court has ordered the release of dogs, but there are around 2,000 dog bite cases every day. Who will take responsibility -- the court, NGOs feeding the dogs, or the government?" the BJP leader asked.
He said many countries do not face street dog menace as they keep the strays in shelters.
"We are all animal lovers, but not at the cost of human lives," the former minister said, asserting that the government should consider compensating dog bite victims.
According to Goel, nearly 6,000 RWAs support the demand but are not vocal.
"Those who call themselves dog lovers and oppose keeping them in shelters must adopt these strays," he said.
Goel urged the apex court to reconsider its order and said that while the animal husbandry department looks after dogs, the health department must prioritise human safety.
"We are not asking for street dogs to be killed. We only request that they be kept in shelter homes with proper care," he said.
He further claimed that the court's directive on not feeding dogs in public places and relocating aggressive dogs to shelters were not being implemented effectively, as objections from animal rights activists have made enforcement difficult.
On August 11, the court directed the Delhi government and municipal authorities to immediately capture all stray dogs across Delhi-NCR and relocate them to designated shelters due to escalating dogs bites.
On August 22, a three-judge bench of the higher court modified that initial order.
It ruled that stray dogs, once sterilised, de-wormed and vaccinated, must be released back to the locations from which they were picked up, except in cases where the dogs are rabid or show aggressive behaviour.
Additionally, the court mandated the creation of designated feeding zones in each municipal ward.
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