Punjab assembly passes animal welfare bill to resume bullock cart racing. ‘Not cruelty,' says CM Mann
A 2019 Bill brought in by the then Congress government in the state that allowed the resumption of bullock cart races at the famous Kila Raipur Rural games in Ludhiana had received the assent of the President in September 2024. The bill passed by the assembly today widened the 2024 Act beyond Kila Raipur to include all rural games across the state.
Chandigarh: The Punjab assembly Friday unanimously passed the 'The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025' to facilitate the resumption of bullock cart races in rural games across Punjab. The popular sport was banned in 2014 following a Supreme Court ruling.
Speaking during the discussion on the bill, Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that the animals used in the games were taken care of by the owners as if they were children. 'Specially crafted ornaments and decorations are bought to make them look beautiful. They are fed the best of feed and kept healthy,' said Mann, adding that it was wrong to say that these animals are subjected to cruelty.
He said just as bullock cart races were banned in Punjab, the Jallikattu sport had been banned in Tamil Nadu. 'The ban on Jallikattu has been lifted. That, too, is a traditional sport involving bulls,' said the CM. Jallikattu is a bull-taming event held during pongal celebrations in Tamil Nadu.
The Chief Minister said that rural games have been an integral part of the culture of the state. He said that the bill aims at giving impetus to rural games, particularly bullock cart races and others which were held in every part of the state. Mann said cattle have been an integral part of the agrarian economy of the state and Punjabi farmers have always nurtured cattle as their children.
'Punjabis have always loved games like bullock cart race and the race at Kila Raipur was acclaimed the world over,' he said. He also said the bill will be instrumental in further popularising such games across the state in future without harming the animals. 'Special focus will be laid on protecting the animals and any sort of cruelty against them will not be allowed,' said the CM.
The Chief Minister said that the main objective of this bill is to ensure safety measures for animals taking part in sports, with adequate animal veterinary supervision, safety standards, registration/documentation and penalty for violations. He that this bill will also help save indigenous cattle breeds of Punjab, besides promoting traditional sports in the villages.
The bill will now be sent to the Governor for approval. The rules framed under the 2024 act have already been approved by the Punjab cabinet.
'Bullock cart races are nothing short of savagery'
When contacted Ambika Shukla, a trustee with People for Animals (PFA), told ThePrint that holding bullock cart races was nothing short of 'savagery'.
'It belittles us as a society. It reduces us as human beings,' she said.
'How can bullock cart races be called a sport? A sport involves voluntary participation and contest between competing equals where skill, endurance and strength is tested. These races and nothing but a test of torture. These involve hitting, beating and other forms of torture to make the bull run. Bulls, and for that matter all cattle, are not animals which can run fast. They are slow moving animals and to make them run, all sorts of cruelty is undertaken. So many of them die, if not on the day of a race, then subsequently,' added Shukla.
'Just because as human beings we have the upper hand, do we have to bring it down so heavily and cruelly on animals? Our hand should be that of a benevolent, kind caretaker,' she further said.
Previous such bills
In May 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 that permitted Jallikattu and Kambala and bullock-cart races. The five-judge Bench of the apex court had overruled a judgment of a two-judge SC Bench in 2014. The 2014 judgement had banned the Jallikattu events and all bullock cart races.
In 2017, the Tamil Nadu government passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act that permitted the sport, while introducing rules to govern the practice including banning use of force, whips, etc., during the conduct of the sport. The Act was challenged in the Supreme Court by bodies working towards prevention of cruelty towards animals. The petitions were referred to a five judge bench in 2018.
Addressing a press conference following the end of the assembly's proceedings for the day, Mann said his government had restored the glory of a traditional event. 'The bullock cart races are among the most popular events in rural games. These are not limited to Kila Raipur alone,' said Mann. He met some bullock cart owners outside the assembly who had come to thank him.
BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill who met Union Ministers Hardeep Puri last year and Anurag Thakur in 2023 for the resumption of bullock cart races, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring that the 2019 Bill gets the Presidents' assent in 2024.
'Thanks to the efforts of the PM @narendramodi Govt, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2019 received Presidential assent in 2024 paving the way for bullock cart races in Kila Raipur heritage games. Today, the Punjab Govt has moved the 2025 Amendment Bill to allow bullock cart races across the state—a welcome step! Urge the Punjab Govt to ensure that all rural sports, including greyhound racing are regulated transparently and allowed without arbitrary administrative hurdles. Rural games are the heartbeat of Punjab—they deserve protection, not obstruction!' Shergill wrote on X.
Thanks to the efforts of the PM @narendramodi Govt, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2019 received Presidential assent in 2024 paving the way for bullock cart races in Kila Raipur heritage games.
Today, the Punjab Govt has moved the 2025 Amendment…
— Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) July 11, 2025
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: 'Won't disrupt legislature view': Supreme Court upholds bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu'
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