New Delhi: The protest against the stray dog menace in Maharashtra’s Nashik, took a bizarre turn after residents brought puppies in sacks to the Niphad Nagar Panchayat Office. The move was an attempt to draw attention to the growing menace and the problems faced by residents.
In a video that went viral, Shiv Sena (UBT) Yuva sena district president Vikram Randhave and Corporator Rupali Randhave, along with local residents entered Chief Officer Dheeraj Bhamre’s office with three sacks. They then released three stray puppies onto his table. Upon seeing the dogs, the officer shrugged and moved his chair back a little.
The protestors alleged that despite repeated complaints of dog-bites, the administration had failed to tackle the problem. The protestors also covered his table with a garland of currency notes.
However, the way the corporator and Shiv Sena (UBT) Yuva sena district president had gathered puppies and tied them in a sack to carry them to the administrative office has drawn criticism online.
“I only wish the people who have packed those small souls in a sack should die by the same fear those puppies are experiencing in the video,” read a comment by Rohan Vishwakarma.
Another tweet described the incident as an act of a “dead conscience”, saying, “Monsters packed the puppies in airtight bags. Dead conscience.”
“Don’t see anything funny but innocent animals packed in airless bags to cover human incompetence,” another X user wrote.
In the video, the visibly frightened puppies walked across the table and settled in a corner, atop the files.
This is not the first time the stray dog menace has been brought up in an unconventional manner. A month ago, in Madhya Pradesh, a man dressed in a dog costume had gone to the Collectorate office to draw attention to the same issue.
Back then too, a video of the incident went viral, showing Khandwa Municipal Corporation Leader of Opposition Deepak “Mullu” Rathore entering the Collectorate office with a man dressed in a dog costume and mask.