Target: Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India
Goal: Close the legal loophole that permits the killing of animals in the name of religion.
Across multiple regions, young animals — full of life — are being slaughtered in the name of religious ritual, shielded from animal cruelty laws by a decades-old legal exemption. A public interest litigation recently filed before the Supreme Court is now challenging this loophole, seeking to amend Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 — a provision that explicitly permits the killing of animals if required by the religion of any community. These voiceless victims have no say in the traditions that end their lives.
The PIL highlights numerous forms of animal cruelty, including neglect, physical and emotional abuse, and ritualistic abuse. The petition specifically targets the practice of animal sacrifice, which reportedly remains active across multiple regions. Young male animals are most commonly selected as offerings — creatures in the prime of their lives, killed in ceremonies that current law does nothing to prevent.
No tradition, however longstanding, should place animals beyond the protection of the law. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act was designed to shield animals from suffering, yet Section 28 carves out a broad exemption that allows ritual slaughter to continue unchecked. The Ministry has the power to close this loophole. Sign below to demand they act now to extend the full protection of the law to every animal, regardless of the context in which they are harmed.
PETITION LETTER:
Rajiv Ranjan Singh,
We are writing to urge you to support the amendment of Section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 — a provision that currently exempts religiously motivated animal killings from the protections afforded by that Act. A public interest litigation now before the Supreme Court has brought urgent attention to this gap in the law, highlighting how young animals are being slaughtered in ritual sacrifice, with no legal recourse available to protect them.
The PIL identifies a wide range of animal cruelty, including ritualistic abuse, physical violence, and abandonment. Most troubling is the practice of animal sacrifice, which continues across multiple regions, with young male animals selected as offerings and killed in ceremonies that the current law explicitly permits. These are sentient creatures capable of fear and suffering, and they deserve the protection of the law regardless of the circumstances of their death.
We urge you to act swiftly in supporting the amendment of Section 28 to remove the religious exemption and bring ritual animal slaughter within the scope of the cruelty laws. Every animal deserves protection, and no exemption — religious or otherwise — should stand in the way of that basic principle.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Ellie Burgin
