India, Aug. 12 -- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Supreme Court's directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, calling it a reversal of decades of humane, science-backed policy. He argued that "blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion," emphasising that shelters, sterilisation, vaccination, and community care can keep streets safe without resorting to mass removal.

His comments came a day after the Supreme Court ordered Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all stray dogs to shelters "at the earliest" in view of an "extremely grim" situation caused by dog bites and rabies, particularly affecting children.

The apex court directed the creation of shelters for about 5,000 dog...