Former IPS officer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kiran Bedi on Friday slammed the Centre's decision to permit the controversial sport of 'Jallikattu' in Tamil Nadu saying that the 'abhorrent' and 'brutish' tradition did not encourage a civilised society.
"It's abhorrent and this kind of brutish brutality is not meant to be shown on television. We are trying to encourage a civilised society which is moving towards peace and harmony. These games do not encourage that," Bedi told ANI.
Hitting out the decision of reviving the bull-taming sport, she questioned the reason behind going against the Supreme Court's decision of banning it in the first place.
"The Supreme Court had shown great wisdom by banning it. Why should we against the SC order? How is this benefittign our society? What does our next generation see? Provoking a bull to be mad, and then tease it and hurt the bull is against life, "Bedi added.
Earlier today, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan welcomed the Environment Ministry's nod to the Tamil Nadu Government to conduct 'Jallikattu' and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the same.
"Thank our honourable Prime Minister for giving permission for conducting Jallikattu this year. There was a situation that there will not be any chance of conducting this more than 200-year-old tradition. Due to some reasons this event was facings a crisis, but our Prime Minister has made all the arrangement now," Radhakrishnan told ANI.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a notification today saying that 'bulls may be continue to be exhibited or trained as a performing animal, at events such as Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat in the manner by the customs of any community or practiced traditionally under the customs or as part of culture'.
However, there were certain provisions that such races will organised on a 'proper track' and bulls are put to proper testing by the authorities of the Animal Husbandry.
