In a blow to the Maharashtra government, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday prohibited bullock cart races till rules are framed to govern the competition.
During the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government had introduced and passed a bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and its application to the state of Maharashtra. After the Tamil Nadu government enacted the law to regulate Jallikattu, there was a demand to revive bullock cart races in Maharashtra.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2017, however, makes it clear that the organisers of 'bailgada sharyat', 'chhakadi' and 'shankarpal', would have to be approved by the respective district collectors.
During the hearing of a PIL filed by Ajay Marathe, a Pune-based activist, a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice N M Jamdar noted that since the rules have not been framed permission for holding the races could not be granted.
Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani informed the bench that the draft rules were ready and have been uploaded on the government's website for inviting suggestions and objections from persons concerned.
The bench directed the government to file its affidavit within two weeks in response to the petition.
The petitioner had contended that bullocks are ‘naturally’ not meant for such racing like horses. Getting bullocks to race involves inflicting severe punishment on them, according to him.
He has also cited the judgement of the Supreme Court in the landmark Jallikattu sport wherein the apex court had held that bull-taming cannot be justified just because the said sport was centuries old.
Shiv Sena MP from Shirur, Shivajirao Adhalarao-Patil, said that the option is to move the Supreme Court. "We will have to appeal in the Supreme Court once we get the Bombay High Court order," he told a Marathi news channel.
