Bullock-cart race: SC order validates Maharashtra govt report, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the Maharashtra government had submitted a report that established the ‘running ability of bullocks’.

The apex court has upheld the state government’s law and report reassuring that adequate safeguards were incorporated to avoid the infliction of cruelty on animals, Fadnavis added. (File)

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The Supreme Court has upheld the Maharashtra government’s law reassuring adequate safeguards to avoid cruelty to animals, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Thursday.

Welcoming the Supreme Court decision to uphold the state’s amendment Act allowing bullock-cart race, Fadnavis said, “During my tenure as CM, we made amendments in laws providing adequate safeguards and strict punishment to ensure bullocks are not subjected to cruelty.”

According to Fadnavis, “We also constituted a committee to study and make a scientific report on the running ability of bulls. This was necessitated as animal activists went to court seeking ban on bullock cart race citing bullocks are not meant for races…”

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Bullock cart race was banned in the state since 2014 and it was lifted for a short while in 2016. Again restrictions were imposed in 2017, following petitions from animal activists.

Fadnavis maintained, “After the Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power in state, we contested the stay on bullock cart race. Solicitor General Tusshar Mehta took up the matter. He submitted the scientific report of state committee where bullocks running ability was established.”

The bullock cart racing is an old tradition which has been in existence in Maharashtra for over 400 years. There was huge demand from rural Maharashtra to resume the bullock racing, he added.

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