New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it will hear together all the petitions challenging the Centre’s order banning the sale and breeding of 23 dog species. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said these dogs were ‘very dangerous’ and they were proving to be a threat to children. The Court said that in view of the hearing of the case by the Bench, all other similar petitions pending before single judges will also come before it and be heard together.
Court said- this will delay the disposal of the case
The bench said, ‘Once the division bench takes over the case, all such cases should be heard here. All single judges have to send their respective cases here. We will summon the case file here. You (the petitioner) file a ‘party to another pending PIL’ application and we will hear you. We cannot hear so many PILs on this issue. The bench said that multiple petitions on the same issue would only create complications and delay the disposal of the case.
‘Pet Lovers Association’ has also challenged the notification
Let us tell you that the ‘Pet Lovers Association’ has challenged the Centre’s March 12 notification on the grounds that 23 species of dogs have been banned without consulting the stakeholders or inviting objections and suggestions. On this, the bench said, ‘Every animal lover or dog owner or association cannot be heard as a party, it is impossible. This happened on our instructions. It cannot be that we direct the Central Government to look into the matter and then we say that the Central Government cannot pass such an order. We will look into it.
Case listed for hearing on April 9
The bench has listed the matter for hearing on April 9. The Central government has directed states to ban the sale and breeding of aggressive dogs of 23 breeds, including Pitbull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Rottweilers and Mastiffs. The government has given this instruction at a time when there has been an increase in the incidents of deaths of people in pet dog attacks in the country. According to the instructions issued to various states and union territories, people will be prohibited from keeping 23 breeds of dogs as pets.
Center had written a letter to all the states and union territories
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying of the Central government, in a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories on March 12, also said that further breeding of these dog breeds, which are already kept as pets, will not be allowed. Yes, such arrangements should be made.
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