Centre may issue ordinance over jallikattu: BJP

Chennai: The Supreme court’s stay overriding the Centre’s Jan. 7 notification  permitting jallikattu this Pongal has left the BJP here red-faced. Dismayed over the sudden reversal of its merriment, which erupted five days ago, the BJP is contemplating measures to counter the challenge and ensure its notification does not get annulled in Court.
 

According to sources the party leadership is likely to urge the Centre to convene an urgent meeting of the Cabinet and pass a special ordinance de-listing the jallikattu bulls from the category of banned performing animals.

“The party as well as the Narendra Modi-led Government is exploring various options including de-listing the jallikattu bulls, notified by the previous Congress government and also the legal options to overcome the stay in Supreme Court,” a senior BJP leader told this correspondent over phone.
 

In the January 7 notification bulls have not been removed from the list of banned performing animals but have been permitted to be used for jallikattu and bullock cart races.

The present move being considered will change the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) notification of 2011 that added Bulls to the list of banned performing animals. But the problem is this could be done only in consultation with the Animal Welfare Board.
 

The notification dated 7 January kept the bull on the list of animals which were prohibited from being used as a performing animal but made an allowance in the case of sports such as Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and cart racing in Maharashtra, and citing culture and tradition as the reason for this allowance.
 

Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping, Pon. Radhakrishnan while assuring to explore all options to ensure jallikattu is held this Pongal says no cruelty has been meted out to the bulls in the popular bull running event where the youth dauntlessly attempt to tame them.
 

Downplaying the embarrassment, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said the jallikattu controversy has been raging since 2008. Her party attempted to fulfill the aspirations of the people in maintaining the culture and tradition of holding this sport.
 

Meanwhile, BJP members have taken up a campaign that banning jallikattu will destroy the entire livestock breeds especially the native species.