Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 18 (ANI): The Supreme Court's recent verdict on stray dogs has sparked a major debate in the country with several Bollywood celebrities, including Adah Sharma, Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor and Raveena Tandon openly speaking out against the decision.

Now, Manoj Bajpayee has also joined in but with a more neutral take on the matter.

Taking to his Instagram Stories on Monday, the 'Gangs of Wasseypur' actor wrote that 'fear' should not be the reason to decide a dog's fate. Bajpayee said that while 'these animals didn't choose the streets and deserve compassion,' people also 'deserve to feel safe,' adding that the only way forward should be through 'empathy.'

'These animals didn't choose the streets and deserve compassion. People deserve to feel safe, too, and the way forward should be empathy. Fear should not decide their fate,' Bajpayee wrote on Instagram.

The court, in its August 11 order, directed authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad to ensure that localities are free of stray dogs. It also ruled that captured animals should not be released back onto the streets.

This soon led to protests by animal lovers and rights groups in several parts of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, urging the court to rethink its order.

After the backlash, a three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria reserved its order on petitions seeking a stay on the directive. The bench said it would pass an interim order after hearing arguments from all sides.

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, said there was a 'loud vocal minority' opposing the order, while a 'silent suffering majority' supported action. 'In a democracy, there is a vocal majority and one who silently suffers. We had seen videos of people eating chicken, eggs, etc., and then claiming to be animal lovers. It was an issue to be resolved. Children were dying... Sterilisation did not stop rabies; even if you immunised them, that did not stop mutilation of children,' Mehta submitted.

Citing World Health Organisation data, the Solicitor General said 37 lakh dog bites were reported in 2024, with 305 rabies deaths, most among children under 15 years of age. 'Dogs do not have to be killed... they have to be separated. Parents cannot send children out to play. Nobody is an animal hater,' he added. (ANI)