SC to hear pleas related to Bullock-cart race in Maharashtra on Dec 15


PTI | New Delhi | Updated: 06-12-2021 20:50 IST | Created: 06-12-2021 20:49 IST
SC to hear pleas related to Bullock-cart race in Maharashtra on Dec 15
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI
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The Supreme Court Monday said it would hear on December 15 the petitions about the issue of the bullock-cart race in Maharashtra.

The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Maharashtra, told the bench that such races are carrying on in some states including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

At the outset, he said the state has served the copy of the application filed by Maharashtra in the matter to the counsel representing other states including Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The bench observed that anything which the apex court would say in the Maharashtra matter might affect both these states. The top court, while posting the Maharashtra matter for hearing on December 15, said that the parties may file their written notes or affidavits.

On November 29, the apex court had asked the Maharashtra government to serve a copy of its application, which has raised issues about the bullock-cart race, to states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The application filed by Maharashtra has urged the apex court to permit the state to conduct a bullock-cart race.

One of the advocates appearing in the matter had told the apex court last week that the bullock cart race was banned in Maharashtra on the ground that it was cruelty to the animal.

The Maharashtra government has said that there is a prohibition on bullock cart race in the state as the Bombay High Court in its interim order had refused to lift the ban in 2017, while there is no stay on the concerned Acts of the other two states.

In February 2018, the apex court had referred the pleas related to 'Jallikattu' to a five-judge constitution bench which would decide if the bull-taming sport fell under cultural rights or perpetuated cruelty to animals.

Jallikattu, also known as 'eruthazhuvuthal', is a bull-taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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