Despite ban, animal sacrifice at Tripura temple continues

Despite the Tripura High Court banning sacrifice of animals and birds for religious reasons in all temples of the state, the practice continues unabated in the renowned Tripureswari temple in Gomati district. On the occasion of the new moon on Saturday, more than 100 animals were sacrificed as part of rituals, manager of Tripureshwari temple, Manik Datta said.

"We have not received any instructions from the temple trust or the sebayet (servitor) of the temple, who is the district magistrate," Datta told reporters on Sunday night from the Gomati district headquarters, Udaipur. Additional District Magistrate of Gomati district, P L Chakma did not deny Datta's claim.

"We have neither received any instructions from Tripureswari temple trust nor from the state revenue department regarding banning of animal sacrifice. So, the status quo is being maintained," Chakma told PTI over the phone from Udaipur. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjoy Karol and Justice Arindam Lodh had pronounced the order on Friday after hearing a public interest litigation.

"No person including the State shall be allowed to sacrifice any animal/bird within the precincts of any of the temples within the State of Tripura," the order said. The bench directed all the district magistrates and superintendents of police of the state to ensure implementation of the order forthwith.

It also directed the state chief secretary to install CCTV cameras at two major temples of the state - Devi Tripureswari temple and Chaturdas Devata temple - where a large number of animals are sacrificed. The chief secretary should obtain soft copies of video recording by the CCTV cameras every month, the bench ordered.

Meanwhile, Tripura's royal scion, Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman told reporters that he would file a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict of the High Court. He also tweeted on Sunday, "Moving the SC to challenge the order of the Tripura High Court on the ban of Animal Sacrifice in our temples.

"While I believe that opulence and mass slaughter of animals in temples is not required, the HC cannot interfere in customs, culture and have gone beyond their jurisdiction." Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ratan Lal Nath, said the matter would be discussed by the state government. "We are in the process of collecting the High Court order, would study it thoroughly and then come to a decision," he told reporters on Sunday..

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