Activists in Kerala had led a march hanging dead stray dogs on a pole to protest against the government.
Highlights
- Congress(M) activists killed stray dogs, hung them on a pole to protest
- This will be common if governments don't curb stray dog menace, they said
- Currently there are 6 lakh stray dogs in Kerala, double the 2015 figure
Police cases have been filed against 15 political activists from the youth wing of Kerala Congress(M) who had killed a number of stray dogs and carried the bodies tied to a pole as part of their protest. The autopsy report shows 8 dogs were killed by repeated hammering on their heads, the police said.
Admitting they were responsible for the killings, Saji Manjakadambil, who was heading the protest, said such sights will become more common if the state and central governments don't step in to curb the stray dog menace.
"If dogs are killed, police cases are registered but when humans are bitten, no action is taken," he had added.
According to government statistics, there are 6 lakh stray dogs in Kerala, double the figure of 2015.
But Sumeeta Sudheelan, an activist for non-profit People For Animals, said there are "people with vested interest" behind it. "To make things worse, the law is so weak that they know they will get away with it," she added.
Refusing to admit the killings as an instance of politicisation of the stray dog menace, Local Self Government Minister KT Jaleel told NDTV, "This is an isolated case".
The state government, he said, has made it clear that mass culling will not be allowed. "We have initiated the sterilization processes and we hope to finish it in three years. There is no magic wand," he added.
Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor called the killings "completely unacceptable" and illegal.
"I got a lot of calls since people were thinking it was Congress workers who did cruel act. I will be speaking to Jose K Mani, leader of Kerala Congress(M), to convey my utter displeasure and ask him to ensure that his party workers don't engage in such deplorable acts."