Supreme Court Criticises Maneka Gandhi Over Stray Dogs Remarks, Stops Short of Contempt Proceedings
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sharply criticised former Union Minister and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi over her remarks on the court’s stray dog order, expressing displeasure over her recent podcast. While the bench stopped short of initiating contempt proceedings, it noted that Gandhi made “all kinds of comments” without consideration and also flagged her “body language” during the remarks.
The three-judge bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria, questioned Gandhi about her role in securing budgetary allocations to address the stray dog problem during her tenure as Union Minister, a portfolio she previously held along with Women and Child Development, Social Justice, and Animal Welfare.
During the hearing, the court also reprimanded senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, representing Gandhi, asking if he had reviewed her podcast and the remarks made. Ramachandran contended that budgetary allocations fell under policy matters. In a notable exchange, he referenced his past representation of Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack gunman. Justice Nath sharply responded: “Ajmal Kasab did not commit contempt of court, but your client has.”
The bench clarified that it was exercising “magnanimity” by not initiating formal contempt proceedings against Gandhi. Although the court did not specify which remarks were contemptuous, Gandhi had last year openly criticised the court’s directives on stray dog management in Delhi.
In 2025, a bench led by Justice Pardiwala had ordered civic authorities to round up all stray dogs within eight weeks and place them in dedicated shelters, prompting public debate. The case was later modified by a three-judge bench to mandate the removal of stray dogs only from educational institutions, hospitals, and transport hubs.
Reacting to the directives, Gandhi called the orders “impractical” and pointed out coordination gaps among civic authorities. “This cannot be put into practice. 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. If there are 8 lakh dogs here, what will removing 5,000 dogs change?” she had said.
