Thiruvananthapuram: The debates about stray dog menace in Kerala and over whether the life of dogs should be put above that of humans, have triggered a verbal spat between exponents of the state government which faces the issue on the ground on the one hand, and of the BJP-led Centre whose laws stand in the way of killing rabid dogs on the other.
The blame game between arch rivals, the BJP and CPI(M) erupted after a tragic incident in Muzhappilangat Kannur, in which a rabid dog took the life of a mute 11-year-old school boy at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's home town Kannur. The boy's severely mangled dead body was found after a search when he was missing, and the autism-affected boy was unable to shout for help let alone speaking properly.
On Wednesday, State Local Self Government M. B. Rajesh said it's unfortunate that the media is "targeting" the government for the stray dog menace.
"The need of the hour is that the present laws should be changed, and for that, we will soon approach the Kerala High Court. However, the media is trying to use this issue against the state government," said Rajesh.
Hitting hard on the Vijayan government for "not doing anything", the Congress pointed out that it's been three years since the dogs' sterilisation programme in the state came to a halt.
Besides, the much-lauded ABC programme failed to take off and barring rhetoric, and no action has taken place and hence 11-year-old Nihal Naushad lost his life, the Congress said.
On Tuesday, women in the locality where Naushad lived took to the streets protesting against the "callous attitude" of the Vijayan government on the stray dog menace.
CPI(M) MP Sivadasan said stray dog menace is due to "flawed" policy of the Centre which needs to be revisited.
Taking to facebook, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and BJP leader V. Muraleedharan posted: "I was just wondering why the CPI(M) is not attacking the Centre, which is now the order of the day. But I wish to point out that the Centre has notified Animal Birth Control 2023 rules two months ago".
Alluding to Sivadasan's criticism, Muraleedharan said, "Despite you being a Parliament member, you should have known all this. The rules are very clear and this is the responsibility of the Local Self Governments. The order might be lying on the table of the Secretary and you should find out why it's not implemented and not just play the blame game, which is always done".
(Inputs from PTI)