'Dog Shelters Won't Solve The Issue': Mohan Bhagwat On SC's Order To Confine Strays In Delhi

Last Updated:August 15, 2025, 14:44 IST

Mohan Bhagwat addressed a gathering at the RSS office in Bhubaneswar on the occasion of Independence Day.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (PTI Image)

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said that the stray dog issue in Delhi can only be addressed by controlling their population, rather than confining them to shelters. Bhagwat, a veterinary science graduate, commented on the Supreme Court’s order for Delhi-NCR authorities to relocate strays to shelters.

The court’s action stemmed from a suo motu case initiated on July 28 following a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children in the national capital.

A two-judge bench of the apex court had acted in the suo motu case initiated on July 28 over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.

“The problem can be solved only by regulating the population of street dogs. But, it cannot be resolved by putting stray dogs in shelters," he said, while addressing a religious congregation at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.

To explain his point, Bhagwat referred to traditional practices, such as leaving some milk for calves while milking cows, highlighting the balance between humans and nature. Bhagwat stressed the importance of conserving nature by balancing development and the environment.

“This is the art of striking a balance between man and nature. The nature should be conserved by maintaining a balance between development and environment," he said.

Addressing over 500 saints from across the country, Bhagwat mentioned that many issues related to nature could be resolved through traditional methods. He pointed out that Indian soil remains fertile because farmers do not over-extract from the earth, contrasting this with European practices that have led to soil degradation in Africa due to excessive fertiliser use.

“Indian soil is fertile because our farmers do not extract more from the earth. They use Mother Earth to produce grains required for consumption, unlike the Europeans who destroyed the soil in Africa by using excessive fertilisers for maximum grain production," he said.

Following the Cuttack meeting, Bhagwat visited the Govardhan Peeth in Puri and met with Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati to seek his blessings and discuss key religious matters. He also visited the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Bhagwat, who arrived in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday evening, spent the night at the Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti office in the Mancheswar area of the city. He is scheduled to leave Odisha on Friday.

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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

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Cuttack, India, India

First Published:

August 15, 2025, 14:44 IST

News india 'Dog Shelters Won't Solve The Issue': Mohan Bhagwat On SC's Order To Confine Strays In Delhi

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