New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the Tamil Nadu law allowing bull-taming sport 'jallikattu' in the state and also upheld similar laws such as Kambala in Karnataka and bullock cart races in Maharashtra framed by the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments to allow sports involving animals.
The apex court upheld the constitutional validity of the state amendments made to the central law Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act by the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra to allow the conduct of animal sports in these respective states.
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the apex court headed by Justice K.M. Joseph dismissed a batch of petitions challenging the constitutionality of these amendments. They were passed by the states after the Supreme Court banned jallikattu and similar activities in the case Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja And Ors.
The constitution bench said it will not disrupt the view of the legislature since the legislature has declared that jallikattu is part of the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu.
The bench also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi, Justice Aniruddha Bose, Justice Hrishikesh Roy, and Justice C.T. Ravikumar -- observed that the court is satisfied with the materials that jallikattu is going in Tamil Nadu for many years and whether this as an integral part of Tamil culture requires greater detail, which exercise the judiciary cannot undertake.
The bench added that its decision will similarly apply to laws on Kambala and bull-cart racing in Karnataka and Maharashtra and directed that these laws be followed strictly, reports LiveLaw.
In December last year, The apex court had reserved its judgment on a clutch of petitions challenging Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra laws allowing 'jallikattu' and bullock cart races.
The Tamil Nadu government, in a written response, had said jallikattu is not merely an act of entertainment, rather an event with great historic and cultural value.
In May 2014, a two-judge bench of the apex court, in Animal Welfare Board of India v A. Nagaraja, banned the use of bulls for jallikattu events in the state, and bullock cart races across the country. The central law, The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, was amended by Tamil Nadu to allow jallikattu.