Reacting sharply to the Supreme Court’s recent directive ordering the removal of all stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, bus and railway stations, BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has termed the ruling “impractical and disastrous.”

While speaking with a news agency, Gandhi expressed strong disapproval of the Court’s order, which also stated that the dogs would not be released back into the same area after sterilisation. She argued that such a move is unfeasible and lacks logistical planning.

“This is as bad as or even worse than Justice Pardiwala's judgment. This cannot be put into practice,” Gandhi said, stressing the lack of infrastructure needed to carry out such a directive. “If 5,000 dogs are removed, where will you keep them? You need 50 shelters... But you do not have that. You need people to pick them up.”

Questioning the practical impact of the order, the former Union Minister for Women and Child Development remarked, “What difference will removing 5,000 dogs make? If there are 8 lakh dogs here, what will removing 5,000 dogs change? The question is that if this were possible, it would have been done.”

The Supreme Court’s direction — aimed at ensuring public safety in sensitive areas like schools, hospitals, and transport hubs — has reignited a long-standing debate between public safety advocates and animal welfare supporters.