A case has been booked against two veterinarians for allegedly causing the death of a pet dog of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, with the action drawing flak from the opposition, which hit out at the government for 'inaction' over spread of dengue fever.

The case was registered against the duo under IPC section 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle) and relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, on September 12 based on a complaint filed by a dog handler working at the Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of chief minister K Chandrashekar

The complainant alleged that negligence on part of the veterinarians, one of whom was the administrator of the private vet clinic, in providing treatment to the 11-month-old ailing dog, which died on September 11, police said on Sunday.

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Opposition condemns arrest

Reacting to the registration of the case, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Spokesperson Dasoju Sravan said no action was taken when six children died of Dengue on a single day at a state-run hospital. He sought to know whether or not criminal cases for negligence should be booked against the Chief Minister and Health Minister Etala Rajender. The Congress leader further demanded that the State government declare a health emergency in Telangana to take immediate measures to control the spread of viral diseases.

Similarly, BJP Telangana State Chief Spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao, in a release dubbed the action against the veterinarian as an "irony of sorts".

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"It's a cruel joke," he said alleging the state was witnessing dengue deaths due to "criminal negligence" of KCR and the Health Minister. He wondered how many cases need to be booked against the two for their "unaccountable governance." 

Declare health emergency

Telangana BJP state president,  Dr. K Laxman on Saturday expressed concern over the sudden breakout of dengue and malaria in the state. Speaking to ANI, Laxman said that Telangana government should declare a health emergency in the state as  'Hyderabad has become a capital of dengue and chikungunya and now the entire state is dealing with malaria and dengue without proper equipment and a shortage of nursing staff and even doctors.'

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(With PTI inputs)