Supreme Court rebukes Maneka Gandhi over remarks on stray dogs case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised animal rights activist and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi over her remarks and conduct in the ongoing stray dogs case, citing her “body language” and comments made during a podcast, as per reports.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria reportedly said it was the court’s “magnanimity” that it had not initiated contempt proceedings against her.

The bench also clarified that its earlier observations on holding dog feeders accountable for stray dog attacks were made “very seriously” and not in a sarcastic manner, according to reports.

Addressing senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, appearing for Gandhi, the bench reportedly observed a little while ago, Gandhi’s lawyers were telling the court that it should be circumspect; however, it questioned about the kind of remarks Gandhi has been making.

The court clarified that it was not taking the cognisance of contempt but criticised Gandhi for her words and body language.

The counsel then reportedly addressed issues relating to rabies control, availability of vaccines and the need to build professional capacity to deal with stray dog attacks. The bench, however, questioned the role played by Gandhi in addressing these issues. =

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, reportedly said sterilisation reduces aggression among stray dogs, but effective sterilisation programmes were not being implemented in most cities. He also cautioned that certain court observations could have unintended consequences.

During a hearing last week, the court had said it would ask state governments to pay heavy compensation in cases where stray dog attacks resulted in death or injury to children or the elderly, and that responsibility and accountability would also be fixed on those feeding stray dogs.