'...Want To Host Olympic': Karti Chidambaram On Stray Dog Menace During World Para Athletics Championships

Congress leader Karti P Chidambaram has raised concern over the continued stray dog attacks at India’s stadiums, pointing out that nothing has improved despite a Supreme Court verdict. His remarks came after foreign coaches were attacked by stray dogs during the World Para Athletics Championships at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the fifth such incident at the venue.

“And we want to host the @Olympics:( nothing has changed on the ground since the SCI verdict on #Streetdogs,” he wrote on X sharing an article on stray dog attacks by a news outlet.

The repeated attacks have not only alarmed athletes and coaches but also raised broader questions about India’s preparedness to host major international sporting events. The incidents come at a time

when India has been actively exploring the possibility of bidding for the Olympic Games, with leaders highlighting the country’s growing sports infrastructure.

Chidambaram has long raised alarm over India’s stray dog problem. He previously warned that “India can’t aspire to be a global power with a stray dog problem at home,” criticising the lack of a coherent national policy to tackle rampant dog bite cases and manage street dogs.

And we want to host the @Olympics 🙁 nothing has changed on the ground since the SCI verdict on #Streetdogs https://t.co/8WOAIh9ATI

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) October 4, 2025

In July, the MP had also questioned official data on dog bites, calling it under-reported and insufficient in capturing the true scale of the menace. He had urged for stronger, scientifically backed interventions, including mass vaccination, sterilisation, and better shelters.

The Supreme Court of India has issued a sweeping directive regarding the stray dogs roaming Delhi-NCR, triggering renewed debate over public safety, animal welfare, and execution challenges.

In its August 11, 2025, judgement, a two-judge bench OF Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered civic authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram to begin immediately picking up stray dogs from all localities, especially “vulnerable localities”, and relocate them to shelters or pounds. The court said these dogs should not be returned to the streets.