Bhopal, February 17 Concerns were raised in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday regarding attacks by stray dogs, following which the government assured that it would take all necessary steps to address the issue.
Congress MLAs Atif Aqeel and Rajan Mandloi raised the issue through a motion to draw attention to it, stating that the problem of stray dogs was increasing day by day in the state, including the capital Bhopal.
Despite the government spending crores of rupees, the population of stray dogs and the number of dog bite incidents were not decreasing, they said.
Aqeel claimed that 40-50 incidents of stray dog bites are reported in Bhopal every day, and several victims have died in recent days due to a lack of adequate treatment and the unavailability of anti-rabies injections.
"The daily problem of stray dogs in Bhopal city is no longer limited to fear or inconvenience but has become a serious public health and administrative failure issue. The situation is such that in 2025, more than 19,000 dog bites were reported in Bhopal," he said.
BJP MLA and former minister Gopal Bhargava asked, "What is the need for dogs?"
"Why should we discuss them, and what is the need for them, until every person in India has enough food to eat? What's the need to keep dogs, whether they are pets or strays?...My suggestion is, eradicate their breed, eliminate them," he said.
Urban Administration and Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, responding to the nearly 50-minute discussion, said the government would take the issue seriously and take action in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives.
He said that dogs have a high reproduction rate, and the government is unable to sterilize them at a sufficiently high rate.
Citing the shortage of veterinary doctors for sterilization, he said the government would set up sterilization centers by bringing doctors from other states.
Citing the tradition of giving the first roti to a cow and the last roti to a dog, the minister said that society should also ensure that these animals do not go hungry.
"The dog has always been our ally, never our enemy," he said.
Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said there is no shortage of anti-rabies vaccines in hospitals, nor is there any question about their quality.
