SC puts off ruling on Centre’s approval on Jallikattu

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court stayed a proposed ruling on the legality of a central government order allowing Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu for a week after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi made an urgent appeal to the court to defer its ruling to douse “inflamed passions.”

“Because of the Jallikattu issue… there are immense problems,” he told a bench led by justice Dipak Misra. “It has got nothing to do with the court. It is a societal unrest. The Centre and the state are in talks to find a way out… Our request is that the court should not deliver the judgment for at least a week… It is an unusual request, yet I am making it due to the seriousness involved… (it) may inflame passions.

Misra agreed to this, triggering speculation about the government’s next move among lawyers. Pro-Jallikattu protesters have flooded the streets of Chennai and the state government has been looking for ways to resolve the situation.

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president and senior advocate Dushyant Dave was critical of the move by the state government to send a proposal seeking Centre’s help to bring an ordinance allowing the sport. “This is an extremely bad move by the government. The court should not allow this,” he said.

Activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan said any ordinance or law that tries to change the basis of the court ruling on Jallikattu would be bad in law and can be challenged eventually.

A Tamil Nadu-based cultural group urged the bench to deliver its judgement on the ground that Pongal was around the order. The bench, comprising Misra and RF Nariman, refused to be rushed.

“Though the draft of the judgment is ready, it is not possible to pass the verdict before (Pongal) when it is to be held. We also want to say that it is unfair on the part of the petitioner to make such a request,” Misra said.