With news reports emerging that the AWBI has moved the Supreme Court challenging the new jallikattu law, the Board has now come out with a clarification.

The Board has said that if at all any petition has been filed challenging the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 on behalf of the AWBI, it should be withdrawn immediately.

The letter dated January 25, 2017 is addressed to Anjali Sharma, Advocate and Member of the AWBI.

The letter further states that the court cases related to the Animal Welfare Board of India may be filed before the Supreme Court or any other Court only after the approval of the Board. 

This issues with the approval of the Competent Aurhority, the letter says at the end. 

Earlier, the Centre informed the SC that it will file an application seeking to withdraw its 2016 notification allowing the bull-taming sport.

The Supreme Court was supposed to give its verdict in the case this week, but the Centre’s move on Tuesday rendered the case infructuous.

Following the large-scale protests at Alanganallur, Marina beach and the rest of Tamil Nadu, the state government hurriedly promulgated an ordinance lifting the ban on jallikattu on Saturday, after receiving the assent of the Home Ministry, the President and the Governor.

On Monday, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam tabled the jallikattu Bill in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, which was then passed unanimously by the House, making the bull-taming sport legal once again.

The Supreme Court had in May 2014 banned jallikattu on the grounds of torture and cruelty to the bulls.