Singer Rahul Vaidya has expressed his support for the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to transfer all stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region to designated shelters. The verdict has sparked strong reactions from animal advocates and celebrities throughout India. The Supreme Court’s directive, announced on Monday (August 11), came as part of a suo motu case initiated on July 28 following an increase in dog bite complaints.Rahul Vaidya first celebrity to back the verdictRahul stood out as the first celebrity to openly endorse the Supreme Court’s decision. On Thursday, he took to his Instagram stories to express his support, saying, “I support the honourable court’s judgement! I love dogs but as Gandhi ji said, ‘Roving dogs reflect society’s neglect, not compassion’.”Call for genuine compassion over social media activismIn another story, he wrote, “Agar itna hi pyaar hai stray dogs se so pls take them home! Don’t just put an act by putting long stories on social media and criticising a courts judgement simply adding up to the feud created by the media. Loving animals/compassion has got absolutely nothing to do with this issue.”Questioning opponents on dog bite impactResponding to critics of the Court’s decision, Rahul posted another Instagram story where he questioned, “My last point: If your parents or children get bitten by stray dogs would your opinion be the same??!!”Rahul shares personal dog bite incidentThe singer shared a personal experience from 2021, describing how he was bitten by a dog belonging to a well-known actor. Rahul wrote, “I was bitten by a stray dog in 2021. Ek actor ka kutta hai ye… it was a stray dog jo usne pala tha. And when I spoke to kids in that building they said this dog often bites. And the irony is ye actor Crime Patrol host karta hai,” along with a photo showing the injury.Clarifying the actor’s identity and emphasizing the issue’s seriousnessThough he didn’t reveal the actor’s name, many online users speculated it might be Anup Soni. Rahul later cleared the confusion by stating, “Sorry my bad this actor doesn’t host Crime Patrol he hosts a similar crime based show. The point is not the actor here, it’s about people going against the honourable courts judgement. The judges are not jokers, they are sitting in the chair for a reason. Don’t just get emotional about it and forget that this is a serious issue which needs a clean up.”Protests and police action following the verdictAfter the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday, numerous animal rights activists took to the streets in Delhi to protest. These gatherings resulted in several arrests by the Delhi Police.Chief justice assures review; Shelter expansion orderedOn August 13, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai promised a swift review of a petition challenging the directive to relocate stray dogs, amid concerns about its legality and how it aligns with past judgments. The Supreme Court also instructed officials to increase the capacity of existing shelters to accommodate the animals. While critics warn that this could result in widespread culling under the guise of relocation, proponents argue that the move is essential for protecting public safety.
