Supreme Court refuses to stay Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu ordinance

By Express News Service  |   Published: 31st January 2017 05:54 PM

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to the thousands of protestors favouring the bull taming sport Jallikattu in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, the Supreme court on Tuesday refused to stay the ordinance passed by the state assembly for now.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Rohinton Nariman though refused to stay the ordinance but agreed to hear the pleas filed by animal rights groups and issued a notice after six weeks.

During an hour-long hearing, the bench pulled up the state government for its new law and asked: “ What is the necessity for Tamil Nadu government to bring an Act allowing jallikattu?"

The court also rapped up Tamil Nadu for hurriedly passing a law following large-scale protests in the state, saying, “If Tamil Nadu government brought new legislature allowing jallikattu due to the protests, then how could it have criticised Karnataka in the Cauvery case?”

The bench also expressed concern over the violent protests due to which law and order in the state was not maintained and remarked, "SC says that protesting is different, but coming on the street and openly defying the SC order is intolerable."

Centre represented by attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said, "Our constitution allows preservation of culture and animal breeds.Jallikattu would conserve bull breeds."

AG also added law permits killing animals for consumption but at the same time prohibits cruelty towards them.

The court also allowed centre's plea for withdrawal of its notification that exempted jallikattu from the list of prohibited animal sports under law.

The apex court was hearing the petitions filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and other groups, which challenged Tamil Nadu’s jallikattu legislation. The animal welfare groups contended that the hastily passed law was against the Supreme Court’s order that had held jallikattu inherently cruel to animals.