Jwala Gutta campaigns against cockfighting for PETA

Ace shuttler Jwala Gutta has campaigned against cockfighting, a hitherto rural bloodsport, and expressed her strong displeasure at using cocks for the pleasure of human beings.

Wearing a specially designed dress and with 'blood spots' on her body like an injured rooster, Gutta on Saturday held a board reading 'Try to relate their fate, say no to cockfighting'.

"This I am doing it for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) against cockfight and to spread the awareness that we should ban such fights for just human pleasures and support PETA in doing this," said Gutta.

She said that though cockfighting was banned in India, it was still being practiced by many. She sought government intervention in keeping a check on such practices.

In 2014, the Supreme Court passed a landmark judgment confirming that inciting animals to fight is illegal and in violation of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. But cockfights are still organised in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and elsewhere.

The badminton champion, commonwealth gold and silver medalist and Arjuna awardee also shot an advertisement for the campaign to spread the message against cockfighting for PETA.