Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the RSS, has spoken out against the ongoing debate around stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, saying that all animals have the right to exist. Bhagwat, who has a degree in veterinary science, remarked at a religious gathering in Cuttack that the problem of stray dogs can only be solved by controlling their numbers, not by putting them in shelters.
He remarked, “The problem can only be solved by controlling the number of street dogs,” and “Putting stray dogs in shelters won’t fix it.” He also talked about how people in India share milk with a cow’s calf as an example of “the art of striking a balance between man and nature.”
The same day that Bhagwat made his statements, a bigger three-judge Supreme Court panel put off its decision after hearing new arguments on the matter. After a lot of public outcry over an August 11 decision from a two-judge bench that told all stray canines in Delhi-NCR to be “removed,” this new hearing was started. The Chief Justice of India, Bhushan R. Gavai, took the suo motu case away from the original bench and sent it to a bigger bench.
During the new hearing, top lawyer Kapil Sibal spoke out against the blanket removal. The court itself said that the problem is caused by officials not following the rules that are already in place. Many politicians and groups, including the India branch of PETA, criticized the August 11 decision, calling it “impractical, illogical, and illegal.”