A protest over the rising stray-dog problem in Maharashtra's Nashik district took an unusual turn when Yuva Sena workers brought two stray puppies into a municipal office and released them on the chief officer's desk.
Videos from the incident showed Vikram Randhave, district chief of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena, placing the puppies on the table of Niphad Nagar Panchayat chief officer Dheeraj Bhamre.
The protesters were demonstrating against what they alleged was the administration's failure to respond to repeated complaints regarding stray dogs.
The puppies were carried into the office in small sacks and appeared anxious after being released, moving around the table and observing their unfamiliar surroundings.
As part of the demonstration, Randhave also placed a garland made from currency notes on Bhamre's table.
The protest was intended to highlight complaints about the growing number of stray dogs in and around Niphad. The protesters claimed that the increasing population of stray dogs was causing problems for children, senior citizens, women and motorists.
They also alleged that several residents had suffered dog bites despite repeated complaints and representations to the authorities, which they said had not resulted in any meaningful action.
Randhave raised the issue during the ongoing Ganeshotsav celebrations as well, claiming that stray dogs were creating fear among people visiting Ganesh pandals.
He demanded immediate sterilisation drives, effective dog-catching arrangements and steps to control the stray-dog population.
Criticising the civic authorities, Randhave alleged that the issue had been highlighted for several days without any concrete response. He accused the administration of concentrating on tendering procedures rather than addressing pressing civic concerns.
He warned that if action was not taken, he would stage the protest again and release stray dogs inside the Chief Officer's office in front of members of the public.
A similar unusual protest was held last month in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa, where a man wearing a dog mask was taken to a public hearing to draw attention to alleged irregularities in the municipal corporation's stray-dog sterilisation programme.
Khandwa Municipal Corporation Leader of Opposition Deepak “Mullu” Rathore used the demonstration to highlight the city's stray-dog problem. Officials subsequently assured him that a committee would be established to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action.
The Nashik protest transformed a routine civic complaint into a dramatic demonstration, bringing the stray-dog issue directly into the municipal office and forcing attention on the concerns raised by residents.
