New Delhi: Soon after Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra put out a Rakshabandhan post on social media Saturday, he got a deluge of comments from the women animal rescuers of Delhi.
Most of these comments echoed the same message originally posted by Alka Singh Bhargava, a retired IRS officer and former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax.
Speaking to ThePrint, Bhargava said she has been feeding and caring for around 50 stray dogs at the Civic Centre premises, which house both the Income Tax and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) offices. All the dogs are vaccinated and sterilised, she said.
However, on 7 August, MCD vans arrived and picked up around 15 of these dogs and “forcibly relocated” them without any prior notice or information, she claimed, adding that many of the dogs are aged, and some so frail they can barely see.
“The MCD is violating the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which clearly state that sterilised stray dogs cannot be relocated,” said the former income tax officer.
Bhargava, who lives in Noida, claimed the vans that picked up the dogs on 7 August were marked as belonging to the Veterinary Services Department of the municipal corporation, with dog catchers seizing the animals. “The MCD is not giving a single answer, why they picked up the dogs, how many were taken, or what has been done with them. This is unlawful and amounts to cruelty towards animals. They cannot speak for themselves and are treated like garbage.”
Since then, dozens of woman animal rescuers have commented on Kapil Mishra’s Rakhi post, urging intervention in the alleged relocation of sterilised stray dogs, as flagged by Bhargava.
Among them is the Karan Puri Foundation. Speaking to ThePrint, Divya Puri, who heads the NGO, said, “The MCD claims to be concerned for the public safety, but these dogs have always been here, fed by nearby residents and even officials from the premises. Why has this safety concern emerged suddenly, and where did they take the dogs?”
She added: “We will now challenge this unlawful practice by the MCD through legal avenues and demand the resignation of the officials directly involved.”
ThePrint contacted MCD Director Ashwini Kumar, who said that the Civic Centre premises host important functions attended by senior government dignitaries, drawing a diverse cross-section of citizens including the elderly, children, women, and the differently abled. Safety concerns prompted the MCD’s decision, he added.
“Alka Singh is trying to push stray dogs into the Civic Centre for reasons known only to her,” he further said, adding that “maintaining basic civic discipline is crucial for an orderly society that treats everybody fairly”.
“Alka Singh is welcome to keep as many stray dogs in her own home as she wants,” he added.
This tussle comes at a time when the issue of stray dogs is a burning topic in the national capital. Amid uproar over allegedly rising cases of stray dog bites, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has talked about relocation, while animal lovers are insisting that a better funded, more organised sterilisation programme and designated feeding spots are the most humane solutions to curb the rising canine population. Even the Supreme Court has weighed in, emphasising the importance of balancing compassion with public safety and order.
ThePrint has also reached Mishra, Delhi minister for Art, Culture and Language, via calls and messages, for comment. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Delhi & stray dogs
On Friday, Kapil Mishra had chaired a detailed discussion in Delhi on the matter of stray animals, which was attended by former BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, and representatives of various animal welfare NGOs.
“Our resolve is to transform the capital into a city where every living being can live safely, with dignity, and in a compassionate environment,” he wrote on X in Hindi.
On Saturday, Kapil Mishra’s comment section was flooded with messages from women, saying the festival is not just about a brother promising to protect his sister, but about protecting every person and animal from cruelty and injustice.
“Let’s extend this bond to all species. The voiceless animals on our streets are being denied their right to live, breathe, and coexist – thanks to the apathy of government authorities,” said one user reposting Bhargava’s message.
A regular dog feeder at the Civic Centre premises told ThePrint that the guards have been “instructed” not to allow anyone to feed the stray dogs there.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Stray dogs pose a grave threat to the safety and security of vulnerable groups like senior citizens and children. There have been multiple instances of gangs of stray dogs mauling elderly or children to death.
The ideal solution for this problem is mass scale culling of strays. The municipal authorities must initiate large scale culling of stray dogs at the earliest.