Jallikattu row: SC upholds Tamil Nadu govt's law allowing bull-taming sport

Indias top court on Thursday May 18 upheld the Tamil Nadu governments law allowing the bulltaming sport Jallikattu in the stateThe apex court however said that Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tamil Nadu Amendment Act 2017 substantially minimises pain and suffering to animals news agency ANI reportedA batch of petitions challenging Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments laws allowing the bulltaming sport Jallikattu and bullock cart races was being heard a fivejudge Constitution bench of Justices KM Joseph Ajay Rastogi Aniruddha Bose Hrishikesh Roy and CT RavikumarThe top court also upheld the validity of similar laws framed by the governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka allowing sports involving animals It also noted that Jallikattu has been going on for the last few centuriesAccording to ANI strictly observing that the law having received Presidents assent cant be interfered with the bench dismissed all the pleas challenging the validity of states laws allowing bulltaming sport Jallikattu and bullock cart races Fivejudge Constitution bench directed that all laws are strictly implemented and the DM and competent authorities shall be responsible for strict implementation of the amended lawThe Tamil Nadu government had defended the event of Jallikattu and told the apex court that sporting events can also be a cultural event and there is no cruelty on the bulls in JallikattuAlso readFile updated status report in Adani stock price manipulation case SC to SEBIJallikattu is conducted during the Pongal festival as thanksgiving for a good harvest and subsequent festivals are conducted in temples which shows that the event has great cultural and spiritual significance it had added In February 2018 the Supreme Court had referred to the Constitution bench whether the people of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra can conserve Jallikattu and bullockcart races as their cultural right and demand their protection under Article 29 1 of the ConstitutionThe Supreme Court had earlier said that the petitions challenging the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tamil Nadu Amendment Act 2017 needed to be decided by a larger bench since they involved substantial questions relating to interpretation of the ConstitutionTamil Nadu and Maharashtra had amended the central law the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and allowed Jallikattu and bullock cart racing respectively The petitions were filed in the top court challenging the State lawsA batch of petitions led by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA sought direction to quash the Jallikattu law passed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly which brought bulls back into the fold of performing animalsPETA had challenged the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Tamil Nadu Amendment Bill 2017 passed by the state assembly on several grounds including that it circumvented the apex court verdict holding the bulltaming sport as illegal in the stateThe Supreme Court had earlier dismissed the Tamil Nadu governments plea seeking a review of the 2014 judgement banning the use of bulls for Jallikattu events in the state and bullock cart races across the countryWith inputs from ANI