Centre cites animal sacrifice, slaughter to defend Jallikattu

NEW DELHI: The Centre has justified the Tamil Nadu law permitting Jallikattu, a traditional ‘sport’ engaging the bull, saying that if animal slaughter and sacrifices were permitted in the name of religion and culture, despite the cruelty involved, Jallikattu should also be allowed.

“Slaughter is done for religion. That is also cruelty. Halal is cruel. There are a number of religious functions in which animals are sacrificed,” attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi told the SC during a hearing on fresh pleas on Jallikattu.

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and RF Nariman, however, did not prima facie agree with the view. Justice Misra invoked the doctrine of necessity to justify killing for food.

Justice Nariman too said: “We are conscious that nonvegetarians must eat, but this must not inflict unnecessary pain (on the animals)”, but the AG fell back on religion and culture to justify Jallikattu. At another point in the debate, the AG said: “People die in every sport.”

This was a riposte to the court’s observations that many people had died and others injured in the recent Jallikattu events held in the state. He also backed TN’s view, articulated through senior advocate K Parasaran, that the sport was necessary for breeding indigenous varieties of bull.

However, the state government was on the back foot trying to justify the street protests against the ban on the sport. The court had in an interim order stayed a notification of the environment ministry issued ahead of the TN assembly polls permitting Jallikattu.