Rejecting the contention of petitioner Ramakrishna, the judges said they were not inclined to vacate the Supreme Court order of Tuesday prohibiting Jallikattu on grounds of cruelty to the bulls.
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The Animal Welfare Board, and 11 other organisations, recently challeged Centre’s decision to resume the sport again in the apex court.
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa urged the Centre to promulgate an Ordinance forthwith to enable the conduct of Jallikattu. Roads connecting Alanganallur and Palamedu were blocked by protesters.
Hearing a bunch of petitions against Jallikattu, which were filed soon after the Centre gave nod to the sport late last week, the apex court issued the interim stay.
Activists say the sport is cruel and abusive, but India’s attorney general argued in court that the government had put safeguards in place for the animals. After all, Pongal is a Hindu festival which is celebrated with Jallikattu.
People’s sentiments should be respected, she said, adding arrangements had already been made all over the State to hold Jallikattu and circulars sent to district authorities over it.
P Rajasekaran, president of the Jallikattu Paddukappu Peravai, said that there can not be any cruelty inflicted on the animals as they were subjected to medical examination before and after the event.
He said whether the battle is over after the apex court’s decision on Tuesday or would have to continue depends on the government’s decision. “The Central government will take appropriate action on this issue after studying the court ruling”, Minister of State for Shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan said.
But T. Velmurugan, founder of Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi and a former legislator, told IANS: “As per the law of the land, the Supreme Court has decided”.
The BJP’s concern for preventing cow and bull slaughter was clearly not visible when the NDA government at the Centre lifted the ban on an age-old tradition in Tamil Nadu. The notification of central government was, thereby, stayed till March 19.
Jallikattu and bullock cart races were banned by the SC in a judgement pronounced in May 2014 where the sport was held to be cruelty on bulls.
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If there is something wrong with a sport, then wrongs should be corrected instead of banning the sport.
