Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday backed the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Bombay High Court’s order to ban the feeding of pigeons and directing municipal authorities to take all stray dogs in Delhi and parts of the National Capital Region to dedicated shelters within eight weeks.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the party argued that pigeons and stray dogs pose a serious risk to public health, and that religious sentiments should not be stirred on the issue.
“Thousands of people are crushed to death like dogs and cats every year in road and railway accidents, neither the government nor the people who believe in ghost mercy feel sorry for it. 'People die, dogs and pigeons live' is the new mantra of life, a distortion that has emerged in the last ten years. A community speaks of taking up arms to feed pigeons. In the thoughts of Lord Mahavira, there is no place for violence and such recklessness, and Hinduism does not say that even biting dogs should be given five kilos of government food grains. Still, in our country, the invention of ghost mercy is being created unnecessarily in the name of religion,” the Thackeray faction said.
The editorial criticized those who focus on feeding pigeons and stray animals while ignoring hunger, disease and indebtedness among people. It noted that despite court orders warning against feeding pigeons in Mumbai, some groups have continued to defy them, even sparking unrest in Mira-Bhayander.
On stray dogs, Saamana welcomed the apex court’s direction to relocate them away from human settlements, citing increasing attacks on children and morning walkers, and rising rabies cases. According to the piece, more than two crore people have been bitten by dogs in the past five years, leading to over a thousand deaths and many permanent disabilities.
It also highlighted medical evidence presented to the High Court, stating that contact with pigeon droppings can cause serious lung ailments, particularly in children, the elderly and women over 60. The court had accepted expert advice to relocate pigeon houses from densely populated areas, a decision the municipal administration implemented, but which some religious groups continue to oppose.
The editorial dismissed current disputes over pigeons and dogs as “pointless”, noting that pigeons no longer serve their historic role as messengers. It also criticized animal rights advocates and politicians such as Maneka Gandhi for prioritizing the welfare of animals like pigeons, monkeys and stray dogs while people struggle with hunger and poverty.
Reiterating its support for the court’s orders, the party maintained that unchecked feeding of pigeons and stray dogs is harmful, and that public health must take precedence over misplaced notions of mercy.