The Centre has decided to withdraw its January 8, 2016 notification allowing Jallikattu with certain restrictions. The decision comes at a time when the Supreme Court is expected to deliver its judgment on the validity of the said notification since it runs contrary to the May 2014 judgment of the apex court banning Jallikattu.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi informed this decision to the Court on Tuesday. The Centre is currently in process of preparing an application in this regard. Once it is filed, it will be listed before a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Rohington Nariman, which had reserved orders in the case.
Rohatgi approached a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra and said that the Centre wished to withdraw the notification issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on January 8, 2016 regarding Jallkattu. Justice Misra said, “You make a mention before the bench which is hearing the matter.” A-G informed it will be done after the application in this regard is filed.
The notification said that while bull is in the list of prohibited performing animals, “bulls may be continued to be exhibited or trained for events such as Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat”. The apex court had stayed the operation of the notification on a petition filed by Animal Welfare Board and PETA.