Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing 'Jallikattu'

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the validity of the Tamil Nadu law allowing the traditional bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu' in the state.

A five-judge Constitution bench led by Justice K M Joseph also found no illegality in Maharashtra and Karnataka laws, allowing similar bullock carts race and Kambala, respectively.

The court noted the 'Jallikattu' has been going on in the state for a last few centuries and the law passed by the state government took care of cruelty, if any, caused to the animals.

"The Tamil Nadu law is a valid piece of legislation and there is no flaw in it," Justice Aniruddha Bose declared on the behalf of the bench.

"It is not a piece of colourable legislation since it minimises cruelty," the court added.

Reading out the operative portion of the judgement, Justice Bose said that legislature is the best institution to take a call on what is part of cultural heritage of a state and it cannot be decided by judiciary.

The court also noted Amendment Acts passed by the three states had also received the President's assent and do not violate provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The bench, also comprising justices Ajay Rastogi, Hrishikesh Roy and C T Ravikumar, also declared the state laws do not violate fundamental rights under Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The bench dismissed all the petitions, including one filed by animal rights body PETA, challenging the validity of state laws.

"We will not disrupt the scheme of the legislations," the bench further said.

The court also declared that the Amendment Acts passed by the state legislatures had removed the basis of 2014 judgement, which had said bulls cannot be used as performing animals either for "Jallikattu" events or bullock-cart races, and banned their use for these purposes across the country.