Ratan Tata’s closest aide on SC stray dogs remark: Is compassion to animals a crime in India?

Shantanu Naidu, the head of strategic initiatives at Tata Motors, is a feeder himself and he shared the love for animals with his mentor Ratan Tata. (Image credit: Shantanu Naidu, Unsplash)

Shantanu Naidu, the manager and closest aide of Ratan Tata, who also shares the late titan's love for animals, has questioned the comments made by Supreme Court judges on the ongoing stray dogs case. On Tuesday, the judges had asked feeders, or people who volunteer to feed and take care of stray dogs in their communities, to take the dogs home if they were concerned about their well-being.

"Has compassion towards animals become a crime in India?" Naidu, the head of strategic initiatives at Tata Motors, asked in a video that is doing the rounds on social media. "Yesterday, the Supreme Court justice said why are there so many stray dogs loitering around? You should just take them home. They are loitering around because for the past 20 years, the government and the municipality have failed to implement the animal birth control (ABC) programme, which is the only proven scientific and humane way to control the stray dog population by neutering and sterilising them and ensuring they don't reproduce. But the government has paid no attention to this."

Naidu also defended the animal activists and feeders who have been vaccinating and sterilising street dogs with their own money. He highlighted that turning them into scapegoats for the current problem is unfair.

When Ratan Tata sir's closest aide speaks up, you know the cruelty has crossed every limit. Street-dog cruelty has spiralled into a national shame. Enough is enough. Stop the violence. Stop the lies. Stop the hatred.#SaveIndianDogs@LiveLawIndia@TOIIndiaNews@htTweets@mid_day… pic.twitter.com/Oik6ncyIta

— Tanya (@SnooopSnoopy) January 14, 2026

Explaining the complications in removing stray dogs from communities that they are used to living in, Naidu also pointed out that while dog bites are tragic, stray dogs get aggressive when they are hungry or if they are displaced from their localities -- "which the government is suggesting".

"The government needs to go back to the ABC programme which has been laid down in law for the longest time. It's a really good system," Naidu said.

He also defended his right as a feeder to continue caring for the animals. "Under Article 51A(g) of the Constitution of India, it is the fundamental duty of all Indian citizens to offer compassion and protection to all living creatures," he said. "By asking us to stop feeding them or to take them home, you're asking us to abandon our Constitutional duty. The solution to this problem is not killing kindness, and justice is not only for those who can speak."

Shantanu Naidu also defended the animal activists and feeders who have been vaccinating and sterilising street dogs with their own money. (Representational image: Unsplash)

Netizens support Ratan Tata's millennial manager

Naidu's video gathered a lot of support from social media users. "When Ratan Tata Sir's closest aide speaks up, you know the cruelty has crossed every limit. Street-dog cruelty has spiralled into a national shame. Enough is enough. Stop the violence. Stop the lies. Stop the hatred," commented one user. Another said, "This made me tear up - what a beautiful, kind way to express the sentiments of so many people trying to protect our street dogs."

"Reliving Hitler nightmare!" wrote a third user. "Starts with animals, who can't speak for themselves, then the powerless lowest category of people, and finally the whole country."

In his video, Shantanu Naidu pointed out that Indians have been living with dogs as community animals for years. The problem with their population arose only after the authorities failed to implement the ABC programme. (Image credit: Unsplash)

Details of what the Supreme Court said in the last hearing

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made sharp observations while hearing a case related to stray dog attacks. The top court questioned who should be held responsible when children and elderly citizens are killed or injured by stray dogs on the streets.

A bench of Supreme Court Justices comprising Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria heard the case.

"We are going to take the Union government and state governments to task. The issue has been continuing forever. You yourself have mentioned that parliament has been looking into it since the 1950s. It is because of the Union and state governments that the problem has multiplied 1000 times. Complete failure on the part of the Union and state governments. For every man, woman and child who has lost their lives to a dog bite, we will impose heavy compensation on the government responsible," the bench said.

According to Justice Vikram Nath, feeders would also be held accountable.

"Do it, take them to your house. Why should dogs be littering around, biting, scaring people?" he questioned.