Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Saturday said the government was making all efforts for the conduct of jallikattu, the traditional bull taming sport, on the day of Pongal in the State.
On Wednesday, the State government officials met top officials of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and made a request for deletion of bulls from the list of “performing animals” that have been banned for exhibition and training.
They would take up the issue with the Centre on Monday as well, seeking a notification to this effect.
If the Centre issued such a notification, the State government, without prejudice to the Supreme Court’s judgment on jallikattu , would also issue a notification, allowing the events to take place, the Chief Minister said in a statement. The State has also urged the Central authorities to make appropriate amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960. Referring to the Supreme Court imposing ban on jallikattu and declaring the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act 2009 as repugnant to the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said the State government, in May 2014, filed a review petition before the court and the matter was pending. An application would be filed for hearing its review petition expeditiously. Giving an exhaustive account of the jallikattu controversy, Mr Panneerselvam added that it was the previous Congress-led government at the Centre that issued a notification in July 2011, including bulls in the list of performing animals.
