Hema Malini urges ban on Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu

Jul 1, 2011 IANS

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Veteran actress Hema Malini has written to Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on behalf of PETA urging him to ban Tamil Nadu's popular bull taming sport Jallikattu.

Hema, who is from the state, says the bulls are kicked, punched, jumped on, and dragged to the ground, which is a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

"Bulls in Jallikattu are terrorised for entertainment. They are surrounded by screaming crowds, jumped on, pushed, hit, teased and wrestled to the ground. My friends at PETA have organised investigations at jallikattu events and documented that bulls are pulled roughly by their nose rings, punched, pummelled, hit with sharp sticks and crammed into trucks so tightly that they can barely move," Hema wrote in the letter.

"People expect our officials to uphold meaningful animal welfare standards and to protect citizens. I urge you to do so by taking steps towards ending Jallikattu without delay."

This isn't for the first time that Hema has teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to help animals. In 2009, she sent a letter to the municipal commissioner of Mumbai urging him to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city.