BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi–NCR within eight weeks, calling it “impossible, impractical and given in anger”.

Warning of chaos on the streets, an astronomical financial burden, and a fresh stray dog influx from neighbouring states, Gandhi said the order shows “no grasp of ground realities” and could backfire disastrously.

Gandhi emphasised the staggering scale of the task. She insisted that there isn't a single government-run shelter in Delhi, let alone enough to accommodate the estimated 3,00,000 stray dogs.

To construct the required 3,000 facilities — each requiring drainage, water, a shelter, kitchen, and staff — she estimated a cost of up to Rs 15,000 crore.

Each centre might require up to one acre of land and cost approximately ?5 crore per month to operate, significantly increasing the financial burden.

She warned that the enforcement of such a dramatic order could spark chaos. She envisioned “fighting in every street” as dog feeders resist authorities attempting to remove the animals.

Moreover, she cautioned that displacing Delhi’s canine population would create a vacuum promptly filled by strays from neighbouring regions.

Within days, she predicted another influx of approximately 300,000 dogs attracted by the city’s food availability — most of them unsterilised, potentially necessitating yet another costly sterilisation drive.

She also drew attention to the ecological role of street dogs as rodent controllers, warning of consequences akin to Paris in the 1880s, when removing cats and dogs had led to a surge in rat populations.

The order has also drawn strong criticism from PETA India, which branded it “impractical, illogical, and illegal,” noting that displacement would merely create chaos without reducing dog populations or curbing rabies or bite incidents.

At protests at India Gate, several activists, rescuers, and dog lovers were detained by Delhi Police for objecting to the sweeping directive.

Protesters voiced fears that the dogs, if removed, would be released outside Delhi where they would not survive.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan termed the stray dog situation “extremely grim” and emphasised that no captured animal is to be released back onto the streets.

Authorities have been ordered to begin the process immediately, aiming for all localities — especially those considered vulnerable — to be cleared within the stipulated eight-week timeframe.

Similar directives include sterilisation, relocation to well-equipped shelters with CCTV and proper staffing, and establishing a helpline for dog-bite incidents.

Government officials, including Delhi’s Chief Minister and Development Minister, have affirmed their commitment to implementing the order “in a planned manner” to free the city from rabies and stray-animal threats.

As the eight-week deadline looms, stakeholders across civil society, animal welfare groups, and the judiciary remain deeply divided over the practicality, ethics, and long-term consequences of the sweeping directive.

Critics argue that without bolstering animal birth control programmes and infrastructure, forced removal could exacerbate rather than resolve the stray-dog crisis.

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