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Namrata Biji Ahuja
Namrata Biji Ahuja

NEW DELHI

Centre clears draft ordinance to lift ban on Jallikattu

jallikattu-event (File) Jallikattu

MHA also cited public sentiments and law and order issues to pave way for an immediate intervention.

Centre has sided with the Tamil Nadu government and cleared the ordinance to lift ban on conduct of Jallikattu in the state. The move by the union home ministry came after the law ministry gave a green signal. “The ordinance has been cleared. The law and environment ministries have concurred with the state government,” sources in MHA said.

Following up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam, the Ministries of Home, Law and Environment vetted the state's draft ordinance and cleared the amendment that will denotify the bull from the list of "performing animals".

This will ensure that provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act will not apply to the bull.

With a wave of protests gripping Tamil Nadu over last few days, the MHA is also citing people's sentiments and law and order issues to pave way for an immediate intervention. 

The issue has past precedents, where amendments in labour laws moved by states like Rajasthan saw the light of the day after presidential assent.

With the matter being sub-judice, the home ministry had bought time for itself, maintaining that the proposed ordinance requires legal vetting and a green signal from the ministry of environment.

Pressing for an ordinance for conducting Jallikattu, AIADMK MPs met home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, asking him to intervene to ensure promulgation of an ordinance at the earliest.

"The home minister has assured us that the ordinance will be processed as early as possible so that it can be promulgated in next two or three days," said Lok Sabha deputy speaker M.Thambidurai, who led the delegation of the AIADMK MPs. In their memorandum, the AIADMK MPs have said that the ban on Jallikattu was against the fundamental, religious and cultural rights of the people of Tamil Nadu.

The ordinance route has been proposed by the state since the matter is sub-judice in the apex court which has already ruled twice against it in 2014 and 2016. Not keen on waiting for the apex court to decide on the validity of the 2016 central notification, Tamil Nadu chief minister O.Panneerselvam announced that the state government would amend the central act to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with the Centre's backing.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Topics : #Jallikattu

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