New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed an interim ban on Tamil Nadu’s traditional bull-taming sport ‘Jallikattu’ after a clutch of petitions by animal rights groups challenged the Centre’s notification allowing it.
A bench led by Justice Dipak Misra issued notices to Centre and all state governments on issues raised by the organisations relating to use of animals for sports and other performances and sought replies within four weeks.
The bench said that in view of contentions raised, there has to be an interim order staying ‘Jallikattu’ till the points of law are decided by the apex court. On Monday, senior lawyers Sidharth Luthra and Anand Grover had mentioned the matter before Chief Justice T S Thakur, who agreed to grant an urgent hearing to the animal rights groups.
The pleas have been moved by the Animal Welfare Board of India, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Compassion Unlimited plus Action (CUPA), People For Animal and various other animal right groups. Apart from applications to stay the Centre’s notification of January 7, contempt petitions have also been filed, contending allowing Jallikattu is a violation of the apex court’s order in 2014.
By a judgement in May 2014, the top court had prohibited the use of bulls in ‘Jallikattu’ festivals, holding this practice to be an offence under the law. The court held that use of bulls in such events severely harmed the animals and constituted an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to the Animals Act.
While striking down a notification by the Tamil Nadu government in this regard, the court had also rejected a proposal by the central government to allow the use of bulls by amending the list of animals prohibited from being trained for performances. But the government last week lifted the ban on the use of bulls in ‘Jallikattu’ in poll-bound Tamil Nadu by creating an exception for bulls, which figures in the list of animals prohibited from being trained for performances.
