PETA India submits petition backing Centre’s proposal to ban animals in circuses
New Delhi, Dec 25: Animal rights body PETA India has submitted a petition to the Environment Ministry supporting the Centre’s proposal to ban use of animals in circuses.
The petition has been signed by over 8,000 people, including school and college students, and celebrities, the body said.
The central government recently proposed prohibition on the use of animals for performances, exhibition at any circus or mobile entertainment facilities, a move which was hailed by animal rights activists as “progressive and laudable”.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said apart from students, the petition has been signed by celebrities like Raveena Tandon, Sonu Sood, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, John Abraham, R Madhavan, Dia Mirza and Sunny Leone.
“It is never been clearer that the days of forcing intelligent, sensitive animals to perform confusing and often painful tricks for fleeting human amusement are numbered,” the animal rights body’s associate director (celebrity and public relations) in India, Sachin Bangera, said.
The Environment Ministry, in a draft notification on November 28, invited comments from various stakeholders on the issue within 30 days.