New Delhi: A man dressed in a dog costume, sitting in the Collectorate office in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, has once again taken over the internet amid discussions around stray dog management.
In a viral video from Tuesday, Khandwa Municipal Corporation Leader of Opposition Deepak “Mullu” Rathore reached the Collectorate office with a man dressed in a full dog costume and mask to the weekly public hearing (Jan Sunwai) to complain about the city’s rising stray dog menace.
“In Khandwa Nagar Nigam, 13,225 people have been bitten by dogs in the past four years, and Rs 40 lakh has been spent so far on dog sterilisation,” he told the media, while standing with the man in the dog costume, who nodded in agreement with each of his claims.
Rathore said that the man in the dog costume had travelled from Delhi to question the authorities about where the Rs 40 lakh had been spent, as the stray dog population has continued to increase despite the sterilisation efforts.
He questioned the sterilisation process and asked why stray dogs are still giving birth even after undergoing the procedure. The man in dog costume nodded when asked whether a female dog had given birth six times even after sterilisation.
“The Supreme Court has said that dogs should be sterilised and dogs posing a threat should be relocated. Have you done that?” Rathore questioned the officer in Hindi.
The complainant also questioned the company responsible for carrying out the sterilisation procedures.
“I will not file a complaint; I will file an FIR against that company,” said the complainant.
Rathore added that dog-bite incidents are being reported in the city every day and around 150 cases of people being bitten by dogs are reported every month.
He said that the municipal corporation cannot limit itself to merely raising bills and spending money. Instead, it must work on the ground to find a permanent solution to the problem of stray dogs.
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‘Costume kaha milega’
Taking a sarcastic dig at the situation, Rathore told the media that if the authorities failed to provide the public with an account of how the Rs 40 lakh was spent, “doggy bhai” (the man wearing the dog mask), along with his entire family and group, would stage a hunger strike outside the Nagar Nigam office.
“Khandwa is a very good place, but the Nagar Nigam should stop pocketing money in the name of dogs,” said Rathore.
As the video went viral, the discussion around stray dog attacks was once again brought into focus, with the unusual costume drawing attention. Some people also asked about the cost of the costume while sharing the video on social media.
“Costume bdhiya hai Kaha se milega? Raat mai apni gali ke kutto ko darauaga,” wrote one user on X. (Where can I get the costume? I’ll scare the dogs in my lane at night)
Many users also questioned the authorities’ response to the complaints and the lengths to which people are now going to be heard by officials.
“What an irony it is that the public now has to don even a #dog costume to assert their rights, just to remind the administration and leaders of their responsibilities. What greater misfortune could befall the nation than this? Wake up, administration, wake up, officials, wake up, leaders! You are the servants of the people, not the other way around,” wrote another user on X.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)