Nagaland's Chief Secretary Temjen Toy on Friday declared that the State government has decided to ban the commercial import and trading of dogs and dog markets and also the sale of the meat, both cooked and uncooked.
"The State Government has decided to ban commercial import and trading of dogs and dog markets and also the sale of dog meat, both cooked and uncooked. Appreciate the wise decision taken by the State's Cabinet", Toy wrote in a tweet, tagging BJP MP Maneka Gandhi and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The decision comes in the wake of the image of dogs being sold at Dimapur markets surfaced online on social media, causing an outcry.
Recently, Pritish Nandy, a prominent poet, and former Rajya Sabha MP, took to Twitter, appealing to his followers to join a movement to ban the sale and consumption of dog meat in Nagaland markets.
"This is urgent. You can help make history by sending an email tonight to csngl@nic.in saying Nagaland must stop dog markets, dog restaurants, and smuggling of dogs into the state. Eating dog meat is inhuman, not just illegal. The issue comes before the cabinet tomorrow", he wrote.People also took to social media urging to sign a petition such as 'Chief minister: Ban dog killing and eating in Nagaland'.
( With inputs from ANI )