Animal Welfare Board moves SC against TN Jallikattu Act

New Delhi: The Animal Welfare Board of India has moved the Supreme Court challenging the new Act allowing the traditional sport of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. The court has listed the matter for January 30 along with the Centre’s plea for withdrawing the 2016 notification allowing Jallikattu.to
The petitions come in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu assembly, in a special session, passing an amendment bill to conduct Jallikattu in the state without any hurdles replacing an ordinance that was promulgated earlier. The state government’s move came after thousands of protesters camped at Marina Beach in Chennai and other sites across Tamil Nadu demanding the conduct of the tradition and upholding Tamil heritage. The widespread protests, that began on social media, werefollowed by government  legislation.

The Supreme Court had earlier banned the bull-taming sport citing animal cruelty.

At the same time, the Centre’s move to withdraw the January 2016 notification permitting use of bulls as performing animals is a fresh twist in the case. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi apprised a bench led by Justice Dipak Misra of the Centre’s decision to move an application for withdrawing the notification, whose legal validity has been under challenge in the top court since last year. Justice Misra said the appropriate bench would take a call on the government’s application once it is filed.

The petitions come in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu assembly, in a special session, passing an amendment bill to conduct Jallikattu in the state without any hurdles replacing an ordinance that was promulgated earlier.

Withdrawal of the notification removes the entire basis of the case in the apex court, which has spent almost a year hearing arguments on the validity of the notification. The bench, also comprising Justice Rohinton F Nariman, had in December last year reserved the judgment on the legality of the notification after prolonged arguments.