The Supreme Court has approved the resumption of bullock cart races in Maharashtra, which had been suspended since 2017.
The updated guidelines announced by the State under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, would apply to the conduct of the races till a final judgment is reached by a Constitution Bench of the court, according to a Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar. The court saw no cause to restrict races in Maharashtra while jallikattu and bullock cart races were taking place in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, due to adjustments made to their laws by these states.
The court was considering a case submitted by the Maharashtra government, which wanted to abolish the state's prohibition on bullock cart races, which were held in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The state of Maharashtra declared a ban on bullock cart races after the Bombay High Court declined to overturn the restriction in an interim decision in 2017, although the other two states had no prohibition on the usage of bulls for sport.
