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Centre lifts ban on bull fighting festival Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu

by IBNS 08 Jan 2016, 08:25 am

New Delhi, Jan 8 (IBNS) Ahead of the assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the centre has lifted the ban on popular bull taming festival Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, reports said.

Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping and BJP MP Pon Radhakrishnan said that the Central government is making arrangements to conduct Jallikattu in the state soon.

He said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar in a phone conversation confirmed the decision of the government.

Javadekar had earlier said that. "Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, bullock cart race in Maharashtra, Kambala in Karnataka and some sort of race using bullocks in Punjab has been traditionally and culturally practised for centuries. "We want to respect that but also ensure that there should be no cruelty. Therefore, we will give you good news in the next couple of days."

Jallikattu  is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day. The Supreme Court had banned using bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country and directed governments and Animal Welfare Board of India to take steps to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals.