Vikram Randhave, Yuva Sena district chief of UBT, placed live puppies in a sack on the desk of a civic official at the Niphad Nagar Panchayat office in Nashik district, Maharashtra, to protest the growing stray dog problem. The incident sparked condemnation from the civic administration and animal rights groups, though Randhave defended his actions citing a rise in dog bite cases.
Dheeraj Bhamre, Chief Officer of Niphad Nagar Panchayat, described the event, saying: “Yesterday, a councillor, her husband, and three others came to my office. They barged in and started shouting loudly, arguing over the alleged lack of action regarding stray animals. They were unwilling to engage in dialogue. They then dumped puppies— which were inside a closed sack—onto my desk.”
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Bhamre condemned the act as “highly condemnable,” adding, “It raised serious concerns regarding the safety of everyone present. We also learned that the puppies belonged to someone and had been brought here without the owner’s consent. We urge the district and police administrations to take strict action and ensure the strictest possible punishment for the guilty.”
Randhave justified the protest by alleging that repeated appeals to the civic administration about public safety had been ignored. He claimed, “The number of stray dogs in Niphad city has increased significantly, leading to attacks on women, senior citizens, and children. We informed the Chief Officer multiple times, but they have stalled the matter for the past seven months.”
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Citing hospital records, Randhave stated: “According to Niphad City Hospital data, 154 dog bite cases were reported between June and July, followed by 151 in August. If such incidents happen every month, action must be taken against concerned officials. We also love animals, but when the public is suffering, we have to remind authorities of their duties. It was in this context that I took two stray puppies there.”
However, animal welfare groups strongly criticised the protest method as inappropriate. Activist Vijay Angare said, “He brought two stray puppies stuffed into bags and left them on the table of the Chief Officer. While his protest was against the administration’s inaction on the animal sterilisation programme, the method of protesting was completely wrong.”
Angare added, “Using a living being for a political stunt or to gain views on social media is unacceptable. Everyone has strongly objected to this, and such incidents must not be tolerated.”