Member SL Bhojegowda of the Karnataka legislative council made a contentious speech on the floor of the council, saying that he had poisoned and killed almost 2,800 stray dogs. According to a report by Kannada Prabha, the JDS MLC said that the canines were fed meat that had been poisoned and then buried in coffee farms and coconut trees.
Bhojegowda’s statements came just a few days after the Supreme Court of India ordered that all stray canines in Delhi-NCR be caught and put in shelters.
Bhojegowda defended his actions by saying that the problem of stray dogs hurts underprivileged kids more than other kids. He said that kids of “judges, ministers, and legislators” who ride in automobiles are safe, but kids from poor families who walk to school are always at danger of being harmed. He further said that the problem is common in public places like Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park.
The Supreme Court’s ruling, which came from Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, was made because there had been a “alarming and disturbing” surge in assaults by stray dogs. The bench said that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be picked up and taken to shelters within eight weeks, even if they haven’t been spayed or neutered. The court further said that anyone or any group that tries to stop the capture effort will be held in contempt and told authorities to establish up a helpline for people to report dog bites and make sure the offending animal is taken up within four hours.