DELHI, SALEM : Facing stiff opposition from the party leaders in Tamil Nadu, who in turn were put on the defensive after it emerged that Congress spokesperson and leading lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi had appeared before the Supreme Court to challenge the amendment to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that the State brought in to enable the conduct of jallikattu, Singhvi said he has decided to step aside from the case.
“Despite my long association with animal rights cases and my appearance pro bono in all these matters, in deference to the sentiments of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress and the Congress party, which I deeply value and respect, I have decided to step aside and will not be appearing on Monday,” Singhvi told Express on Thursday.
This came after calls from within the party asking him to withdraw himself from the case or resign his Rajya Sabha membership.
As it was the erstwhile UPA government that included the bull in the list of animals prohibited to be used in exhibitions and entertainment in 2011, the Congress found itself already on the backfoot during the recent campaign for jallikattu.
The party leaders in Tamil Nadu tried hard to explain how the revival of jallikattu was on its 2016 Assembly election manifesto, but with little effect. Singhvi’s association with the animal rights activists in this case, thus, became a political hot potato for the party unit in Tamil Nadu, leading to open criticism.
“Jallikattu is a Tamil tradition, and it is the basic right of people here. Those who are against it are our enemies,” Tamil Nadu Youth Congress State general secretary, Mohan Kumaramangalam, told Express, condemning Singhvi’s decision to appear in the case.
“We urge Singhvi to not appear in the court in this case. If he thinks his profession as a lawyer is more important, then he should resign his Rajya Sabha seat and also from the Congress party. If he appears against jallikattu, we will protest against him,” Kumaramangalam added.
Following this, TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar took up the matter with the party high command, urging the leadership not to permit Singhvi to appear in the case.
On Wednesday, a battery of lawyers led by Singhvi filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the jallikattu bill. The plea was filed on behalf of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action and other animal rights activists. It termed the amendment a fraud on the Constitution and a violation of a 2014 Supreme Court judgment. The case is now slated to come up for hearing on Monday.