“Killed 2,800 Dogs, Buried Them Under Trees”: Karnataka MLC’s Shocking Claim
Karnataka Legislative Council member SL Bhojegowda has sparked outrage after claiming that he poisoned at least 2,800 stray dogs to tackle the problem of strays on the streets.
While addressing the council on Tuesday, the Janta Dal (Secular) leader suggested filing a petition in the Supreme Court, saying, “Let Karnataka be the first in India to ask the Supreme Court to act against dogs.”
He alleged that during his tenure as chairperson of the Chikkamagaluru municipal body, he killed over 2,500 dogs and buried them under trees to serve as natural compost. “During my tenure as the chairperson of the City Municipality Council, we killed 2,800 dogs and buried them under trees to serve as natural compost,” Bhojegowda said, according to Kannada Prabha. He added that the dogs were fed poisoned meat.
Bhojegowda argued that the stray dog menace disproportionately affects children from poorer families. “Children of judges, ministers and legislators, who travel by cars and other vehicles, may not be affected. But children from poor families, who walk to school, face the danger of being attacked by stray dogs. The menace is prevalent even in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park,” he said.
The issue gained attention in the Karnataka Assembly following attacks on two MSc students at Bengaluru’s Ambedkar School of Economics University, who had to be hospitalised after being bitten.
Bhojegowda’s claims come shortly after the Supreme Court issued directives on relocating stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region. While hearing a suo motu case on rising dog-bite incidents, the apex court instructed Delhi civic authorities to round up stray dogs, sterilise them, and move them permanently to shelters. The court emphasised strict enforcement to ensure the safety of New Delhi and the adjoining National Capital Region (NCR).
Calling the stray dog problem “extremely grim,” the bench ordered authorities to relocate all strays from streets to shelters “at the earliest” and warned of strict action against anyone obstructing the process. Civic bodies were also asked to increase shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs, hire staff for sterilisation and vaccination, install CCTV in shelters, set up a helpline for bite reports, and consider forming a dedicated task force.
The Supreme Court’s ruling applies to Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad, covering both sterilised and unsterilised animals.
