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Maneka Gandhi, Varun Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have all publicly opposed the Supreme Court’s recent directive to move stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters.
Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi. (Image: PTI)
It has taken the stray dog issue to momentarily unite the deeply divided Gandhi family. Politically and personally, they may share little in common today — but their love for animals, especially dogs, remains a rare point of convergence.
Union Minister and animal rights crusader Maneka Gandhi, her son Varun Gandhi, and his Congress cousins Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have all publicly opposed the Supreme Court’s recent directive to move stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters.
Maneka Gandhi, a pioneer in animal protection laws, has long championed humane treatment of animals. Her son, BJP MP Varun Gandhi, shares her passion. On the other side of the political aisle, Rahul Gandhi is known for his affection for animals — his pet dog Pidi once became a social media sensation and the subject of countless memes. Recently, Rahul Gandhi even travelled to Goa to adopt two pets, gifting one to his mother Sonia Gandhi. Priyanka Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, meanwhile, are known for their large family of golden retrievers.
So it was unsurprising that all four spoke against the SC order. Rahul Gandhi called the ruling “a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy,” stressing that sterilisation, vaccination, and community care could keep streets safe “without cruelty.” Priyanka Vadra wrote, “Surely there is a better and kinder way to deal with this situation, one that keeps these innocent animals safe.”
Varun Gandhi wrote on X, “The Suo Moto order on stray dogs by the Supreme Court is an institutionalisation of cruelty and a harbinger of a legal structure that seeks to punish those who cannot fend for themselves.”
The public show of unity stands out, given that the family split bitterly after Indira Gandhi’s death. Maneka Gandhi left the family home soon after, and when she and Varun joined the BJP, the rift with Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka became complete. Rahul once even remarked that Varun now belonged to an ideology he could not accept.
Interestingly, when Indira Gandhi passed away, even her pets were divided between the two branches of the family — a telling symbol of the split.
While their shared stand on the stray dog issue may not herald political reconciliation, it has, for a moment, bridged decades of distance. In today’s charged political climate, it might remain just that — a rare, fleeting alignment brought about by a common love for animals.
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als…Read More
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als… Read More
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