Indian court bans bull fighting at harvest festival

Justice R Bhanumathi on Tuesday recused herself from hearing the case on jallikattu, the bull-taming sport practised in Tamil Nadu, in the Supreme Court. The petitions are represented by senior advocates K K Venugopal, Aryama Sundaram, Siddharth Luthra and Anand Grover.

Citing cruelty to the animals, the Animal Welfare Board, People for Ethical Treatment of Aminals, or PETA, and 11 other organisations challenged the Centre’s notification. The AWBI has called the move against the law and said government can not bring an executive order to allow it.

The court also asked the Environment Ministry to respond to petitions from several animal rights groups that have campaigned to have the sport of Jallikattu permanently outlawed.

Jallikattu is a popular bull-taming sport in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.

The central government, in a gazette notification, removed bulls form the list of animals that are banned from public display.

Bullock-cart racing, which was allowed by the centre through the January 7 notification, would also be stayed, say media reports. He said Jallikattu was unlike bull fighting in Spain and it was done in a small enclosure, which was more controlled.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for paving the way for the sport of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal festivities and expressed her happiness at the Centre’s decision saying that the “traditional sport” upheld the culture and values of the state.

The festival was banned by the UPA government when the DMK was part of the alliance.