They delivered the problem straight to the civic chief’s desk — an unusual protest against the alleged failure to control the growing stray dog population. Nashik : After years of complaints to the Niphad nagar panchayat about stray dogs terrorising neighbourhoods, Shiv Sena (UBT) workers on Wednesday decided it was time for civic officials to meet the canines in person.
Yuva Sena district chief Vikram Randhave and his supporters entered the chief officer’s office and released five stray dogs and puppies inside.
Bhamre said the nagar panchayat had already floated tenders for a new sterilisation agency and was planning a larger dog shelter. “People no longer want assurances; they want action,” protesters said. The protesters even placed the dogs on chief officer Dheeraj Bhamre’s table and draped it with a garland made of currency notes, saying residents were tired of assurances and wanted action. The protest prompted an immediate response from the civic body. Police, meanwhile, registered a case against five people in connection with the protest, though the offences invoked do not carry provisions for arrest. Protesters claimed children, women, elderly residents and two-wheeler riders were among those most affected. Randhave alleged that residents had repeatedly sought sterilisation drives, dog-catching squads and sustained population-control measures, but the administration failed to act despite multiple complaints and memorandums. Randhave warned of a stronger agitation if effective measures were not taken. The protest briefly disrupted work at the nagar panchayat headquarters and drew attention from visitors and staff alike.
