UPA, DMK governments to blame for including bulls & cows in Act, says BJP

ERODE: Lambasting the erstwhile UPA and DMK governments for including bulls and cows in 'cruelty to Animals Act', BJP today also blamed the Dravidian party for not taking steps to get it removed despite being a UPA constituent, leading to a ban on Jallikattu by Supreme Court.

"The UPA and DMK governments are to blame for including cows and bulls in the cruelty to Animals Act. Though DMK was a UPA constituent, it did not take steps to get it removed, leading to the Apex Court ban on Jallikattu," BJP national Secretary H Raja told reporters here.

He also alleged that officials in the present AIADMK government had only orally represented to the Centre on the matter without submitting any papers for removing bulls from the list and allow conduct of Jallikattu.

The Animal Welfare division of Environment Ministry under the UPA government in 2011 had issued a notification banning use of bulls as performing animals under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The Supreme Court had on May 7 last year banned using bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock cart races across the country and hoped Parliament would elevate the rights of animals to that of constitutional rights.