Supreme Court notice to Centre and Tamil Nadu over Jallikattu

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) challenging the constitutionality, legality, validity and legitimacy of the law passed by Tamil Nadu government to allow Jallikattu (bull taming) to be conducted in the State.

A three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice which questions the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act 2017, and the rules framed thereunder to legitimise Jallikattu.

Jallikattu was not conducted in Tamil Nadu in 2015 and 2016 in view of the ban. Following widespread protests in the state, the Centre permitted Tamil Nadu to amend the law to exempt bulls used in ‘Jallikattu’ from the list of performing animals.