Ex-minister leads protest on Rabies Day, seeks policy on stray dog management

Former Union Minister Vijay Goel led a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, marking Rabies Day and urging stricter control over stray dogs across India. Hundreds of residents’ welfare association (RWA) representatives from Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurugram attended the protest.

Goel said, “The government had announced that India would be rabies-free by 2030 but given the pace and the rising number of dog-bite cases, this goal now seems impossible.”

He added, “We will make this campaign a nationwide movement.” Goel also alleged that companies producing rabies medicines and vaccines had vested interests and did not want effective control over stray dogs. He said children and people from economically weaker sections are the most common victims.

The RWA members shared their experiences. Randhawa from Faridabad said, “In Faridabad colonies, the menace of stray dogs has become so severe that children can no longer play in parks. Even elderly people going for morning walks are attacked by packs of dogs. The MC and administration only prepare plans on paper but no concrete action is taken on the ground.”

Rajiv Chatterjee from Noida said, “Even in a planned city like Noida, the problem of stray dogs is going out of control. Whether it is housing societies, schools or markets, people feel unsafe everywhere.”

Goel said the protest marked the start of a larger campaign. “We shall connect more RWAs with us. The large participation is proof that the public now wants a concrete solution,” he said. The protest concluded with a call on the government to implement a national policy on stray dog management and to take immediate measures to prevent rabies and dog-related injuries.