The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a clutch of petitions against the NDA government’s decision to re-introduce “Jallikattu” – the traditional bull taming festival in Tamil Nadu and other States – even though the top court had banned it in 2015.
The petitions were on Monday mentioned before a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur. Animal Welfare Board of India, a statutory body and two NGOs - People for Ethical Treatment of Animals and Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, have assailed the Centre’s January 7 notification, which removed bulls from the list of non-exhibition animals enabling them to be used for entertainment purposes.
The decision is widely perceived as a tactical political move aimed at establishing a strong base for BJP in the upcoming assembly elections due this year.