New Delhi, Jan. 21 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday made it clear that its earlier observations on fixing accountability on stray dog feeders were made "very seriously" and not in sarcasm, as it pulled up former Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi for making what it described as contemptuous remarks about the court and its proceedings. A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria was hearing a batch of petitions concerning the management of stray dogs across the country, amid growing concerns over dog bite incidents and reported non-implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules by municipal authorities. The clarification came during submissions by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for an intervenor, who cautioned that oral observations of the court, particularly those on holding dog feeders responsible for attacks, were being interpreted on the ground as sanctioning action against feeders. Bhushan suggested that the remark may have been made sarcastically. The bench firmly rejected the suggestion. "No, we didn't make it sarcastically. We said it very seriously," responded the court, adding that oral observations made during court proceedings could not be diluted merely because they were part of an exchange with counsel. Bhushan submitted that the core problem lay in the ineffective implementation of sterilisation programmes in most cities, despite evidence of success in places such as Jaipur and Goa. He argued that sterilisation reduces aggressiveness and that transparency and accountability were essential to make the system work. Suggesting a public reporting mechanism for unsterilised dogs, Bhushan said designated authorities must be made responsible for responding to such complaints....