HC declines to stay bullock cart races in TN

The Madras High Court today declined to pass any order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition, seeking a ban on "rekla race" (bullock cart race) in Tamil Nadu in view of a Supreme Court order.
A division bench of justices T S Sivagnanam and K Ravichandrabaabu directed the petitioner to approach the apex court for any relief.
The bench made the observation while closing a plea moved by one Ramesh.
According to the petitioner, the apex court had, on May 7, 2015, passed an order banning "jallikattu", bullock cart races and other such activities in the country, as it amounted to cruelty to the animals involved in such events.

Subsequently, the Tamil Nadu government had brought in an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (Tamil Nadu Amendment Act, 2017), thereby legally permitting "jallikattu" (a bull-taming sport) alone since it was closely connected with the Tamil culture.
Stating that the amendment had only allowed "jallikattu" and not any other event banned by the apex court, the petitioner had pointed out that events such as bullock cart races were conducted with impunity across the state, at times even at government functions.
He had prayed to the court for a declaration banning all such events.