PETA India has responded to actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan's dare to ban bull riding rodeos in Donald Trump-led US, saying the animal rights organisation helps animals only in India.
Kamal, who told the media on Tuesday that Jallikattu should not be banned but regulated, also tweeted to PETA saying: "PETA go ban bull riding rodeos in Mr. Trump's US. You're not qualified to tackle our bulls. Empires have been made to quit India."
PETA go ban bull riding rodeos in Mr.Trump's U.S. You're not qualified to tackle our bulls. Empires have been made to quit India.
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) January 22, 2017
In response to this, Poorva Joshipura, PETA India CEO, said in a statement: "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, as is indicated by its name, helps animals in India only and is an Indian entity."
“PETA US, on the other hand, has been working to stop animal abuse in the United States since 1980, where bull fighting is illegal and cruel activities associated with the rodeo, which Kamal refers to, are also against the law in many states, the PETA CEO added.
"The rodeo is further prohibited in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and elsewhere. Spanish supporters of PETA Europe have made bull fights in many areas of Spain illegal," added Joshipura.
The press conference was held at Kamal’s residence. He also said that agitation against the ban on jallikattu is nothing but a symbol of discontent and anger among people.
Despite the widespread anger against PETA India in Tamil Nadu, the organisation’s earlier statement made its stand clear that it was still in opposition of the sport. An excerpt from the statement released on Sunday reads:
“All kind and decent people believe that one day, all blood sports worldwide – from fox hunting and dogfighting to bullfighting and jallikattu – will be relegated to the history books.”