‘Why do we need dogs at all?’ MLA’s remark sets off storm

Bhopal: Former minister and senior-most legislator Gopal Bhargava on Tuesday said: "We do not require dogs and should finish that breed."Speaking in the House during the discussion, the 9-time MLA from the Rehli assembly seat said, "In a country where the govt has to provide free rations to feed 80 crore people, I think that whether they are pets or stray animals, what is the requirement for dogs? I want to ask, have people in our country become so wealthy today?"The former minister claimed that he was a vegetarian. "But I was told that people spend Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 daily on these animals. Different breeds of these animals cost 1 lakh rupees each. I want to say that this issue is being debated in the Supreme Court and in several HCs. It was raised once in Parliament. The state legislature is currently discussing the issue for over half an hour. What is the point of discussing animals until everyone in India has enough food? What is the point of even raising them, whether they are pets or strays? Mera sujhao hai ki inke nasl ko katam kiya jaye. Inko khatam kiya jaye (My suggestion is to finish this breed, get rid of them)."Speaking to reporters later, Bhargava said what he said in the House was his personal view. "I have seen some people, not everyone, who have become so rich that they keep dogs as pets. Some keep 4 to 6 breeds of dogs, and their non-vegetarian diets are very expensive. They also keep doctors for their treatment," Bhargava said."So, spending lakhs of rupees every month on them cannot be an issue for discussion in a poor country. That is what I said. We should not pay attention to such a discussion. It is a matter of social thinking: have we ensured 2 square meals for every person and their medical treatment? We will think of dogs afterwards," he said.