Ranjini Haridas clears air on the controversy

In the past few days, online has been abuzz with reports and accusations pointed at anchor and actress Ranjini Haridas.
Controversies are nothing new to her but this time she has been withstanding the angry bytes of people for proclaiming her love for stray animals!
According to reports, Ranjini Haridas grabbed the mike from a speaker during a public meeting held recently at Kochi to discuss the issue of stray dog menace.The meeting was attended by Panchayat presidents and animal lovers. It is alleged that Ranjini lost her cool, when a veterinarian suggested killing of all dogs if any dog is suspected to have been affected by rabies. However, Ranjini refutes and says that whenever her name is involved facts are often misrepresented.
She clarifies, “First of all, I never seized the mike as reported. It was an open forum and a veterinarian took to the stage first. But the things he said were completely unacceptable; as he suggested that if a stray dog is suspected to be having rabies, dogs in the entire area can be killed. This is against the law, and also against the professional ethics of a vet. We, the animal lovers protested and seeing it he stepped down. I took to the stage next; anyone who watches the video can see the Panchayat president handing over the mike to me.”
Ranjini adds that she has never said that rabid dogs should not be killed. “A rabid dog will eventually die of the disease and you are actually relieving it of the suffering when you put it to death. What I, as well as the various animal welfare representatives, said was that healthy, friendly dogs should not be killed. It’s a crime and anyone can check the laws. The officials should tackle the accumulation of garbage on the streets and also take measures to control the dog population. All over the world, ABC (Animal Birth Control) has been found to be the only effective measure for the stray dog menace. Several members stormed out when we voiced these views but the reports seemed to suggest that animal lovers created chaos.”
Ranjini adds that the meeting actually had a positive outcome as far as the animal lovers are concerned, as the Panchayat president has assured that they’ll provide funding for NGOs for ABC programmes.
District Panchayat president Eldhose Kunnappilly, who presided over the function, endorses the version told by Ranjini and adds, The Panchayat will indeed take measures to train dog catchers, provide NGOs with funds to take up rescue of the animals.”
He explains, “Ranjini opposed the vet’s views, while several other members supported him. They finally walked out. From the point of view of the Panchayat, we will be listening to the issues of those affected by the stray dog menace and will eliminate those dogs which pose a threat to human beings. However, we cannot kill all the dogs in an area just because one dog bit a person.”
Meanwhile, all over the internet, caustic comments continue to be directed against Ranjini, alleging that she is someone who leads a cosy life travelling only by car, would never have had to deal with stray dogs. Ranjini counters this too, saying that she is very much aware of the reality, and is very much involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of quite a number of stray and abandoned animals.
Well, it looks like controversies will never spare Ranjini Haridas, even if it is for a cause!