NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday put Jallikattu on hold, two days after the Centre allowed the traditional bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra ahead of Pongal festival.
The apex court acted on a petition filed by the Animal Welfare Board, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and almost a dozen other NGOs working on animal rights, who had challenged the Centre's lifting of the ban in the poll-bound southern state.
Issues notices to the Centre and other states, the Supreme Court has asked them to file their responses in four weeks to petitions challenging the central government notification allowing Jallikattu and bullock cart race.
The Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu in May 2014, saying bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for the Jallikattu or bullock-cart races.
Earlier, after Justice R Bhanumati recused herself from hearing the Jallikattu matter in the Supreme Court, the arguments were heard by another bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra.
The central government, in a gazette notification on January 8, removed bulls form the list of animals that are banned from public display, thereby allowing the traditional sport during Pongal.
The notification allowed bulls to be exhibited as a performing animal at Jallikattu and bullock-cart races in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Punjab.
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