Treating stray dogs as nuisance is 'cruelty', not governance: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be ‘removed’ is not governance, it is "cruelty".

His remarks came a day after the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters "at the earliest".

The top court noted that there was an "extremely grim" situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children.

"Treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be ‘removed’ is not governance - it is cruelty. Humane societies find solutions that protect people and animals," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X'.

"Sterilisation, vaccination, and community care work. Fear-driven measures only create more suffering, not safety," he said.

The Chief Minister's post was in reaction to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's post in which he has said that the SC directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy, and stressed that "blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion".