Dhirios legal, says former tourism minister

Former minister Mickky Pacheco has posed an open challenge before the Parrikar government by attending Dhirio in Betalbatim. According to him, the Assembly has already passed a bill to legalise Dhirio and policy simply cannot stop it.

Mikky told reporters at Betalbatim after a dhirio on Monday that a bill had already been passed by the government in 2006 legalising dhirios.

And if the fights followed all norms the police could not stop the spectacle. Dhirio or the bull fights are banned by the Supreme Court. Since Cruelty to Animals Act comes under the jurisdiction of the central government,

Goa government could not amend the act. But it passed one bill to legalise Dhirio in 2006 and sent it to the central authorities and the Parliament. On the other hand, Goa police do not follow the ban very strictly.

They went to stop one such Dhirio held in Betalbatim on Monday but former Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacheco sent them back.