New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) Attempts are being made to "defame" BJP leader Vijay Goel due to the movement he has launched against the stray dog menace in Delhi, his office claimed on Tuesday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused Goel, who has been leading a campaign against the stray dog menace in the national capital, of trying to hit a woman during an event here, a charge vehemently denied by the former Union minister.

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Addressing a press conference, Goel said he is raising a social issue just like he had launched a movement against the evil of lotteries.

This movement is raising a very serious issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office.

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"There are 6.4 crore dogs across the country, including more than eight lakh in Delhi. In Delhi, 2,000 cases of dog bites are being reported to the hospitals daily," he claimed.

Goel said he has held four public meetings so far on the issue of stray dogs.

"Seeing the overwhelming response from the public at these meetings, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress have come down to playing petty politics, and are trying to accuse (him) by calling him anti-dogs and anti-women. This is despite the fact that Goel has not attacked or accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress in any of his meetings," the statement said.

Goel said a group of people who claimed to be dog lovers are trying to disturb his meetings to discuss the stray dog menace in the city.

"A fake video is being spread against me on social media. You also see, I neither hit the woman nor snatched anyone's phone. @PMOIndia @BJP4India @BJP4Delhi @AamAadmiParty @INCIndia," Goel said in a tweet, along with a video, on Monday.

He said horrific incidents of dog bites are being reported on social media platforms as well as by newspapers and television news channels, "but no concrete steps have been taken so far to prevent it".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)