Karnataka Legislative Council member SL Bhojegowda has caused a major controversy after saying in the council that he got at least 2,800 stray dogs poisoned during his time as the head of the Chikkamagaluru municipal body.

While speaking in the council on Tuesday, the Janata Dal (Secular) leader demanded that a petition be filed in the Supreme Court to take action against stray dogs. He said, “Let Karnataka be the first in India to ask the Supreme Court to act against dogs.”

Bhojegowda further claimed, “During my tenure as the chairperson of the City Municipality Council, we killed 2,800 dogs and buried them under trees to serve as natural compost.” He said the dogs were fed poisoned meat.

The politician argued that the stray dog menace mostly affects poor children. “Children of judges, ministers and legislators, who travel by cars and other vehicles, may not be affected. But children from poor families, who walk to school, face the danger of being attacked by stray dogs. The menace is prevalent even in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park,” he said.

His remarks came after incidents in Bengaluru where two college students were attacked by stray dogs. The students, both studying MSc at Ambedkar School of Economics University, had to be hospitalised.

This controversy comes just days after the Supreme Court ordered strict action to relocate stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region. On Monday, while hearing a case on rising dog-bite incidents, the court called the situation “extremely grim” and directed civic bodies to “round up stray dogs, sterilise them, and move them permanently to shelters.”

The top court also ordered that shelters must be built for at least 5,000 dogs, more staff should be hired for sterilisation and vaccination, CCTV cameras should be installed in shelters, and a helpline should be created for bite reports. It also warned that anyone stopping the relocation drive will face strict action.

The Supreme Court’s ruling applies to Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad and covers both sterilised and unsterilised dogs.

Bhojegowda’s statement has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights groups and the public, with many calling his comments shocking and inhumane.

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