NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday promulgated the ordinance legalising Kambala, bull runs and bullock cart races as traditional sports and exempted them from the prevention of cruelty to animals act."President has approved the promulgation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017. Now, Kambala is officially legal in Karnataka," a official communique from the President's office said.The Karnataka Assembly had on February 13 passed an ordinance legalising Kambala, after the Tamil Nadu government took the ordinance route to legalise Jallikattu (traditional bull taming sport).The bill was carefully worded, and said there should be no harm to the animals.The Kambala bill, passed unanimously by the state Assembly, said, "Notwithstanding anything... conduct of 'Kambala' or 'Bulls race or Bullock cart race' shall be permitted, subject to condition that no unnecessary pain or suffering is caused to the animals, by the person incharge of that animal used to conduct 'Kambala' or 'Bulls race or Bullock cart race' as the case may be and subject to such other conditions, as may be prescribed."Having moved the bill, Karnataka's Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju had sought the assistance of the BJP legislators to secure a quick assent from the Union Home Ministry and the subsequent authorisation of the President."While we may have brought the legislation, I urge upon you (BJP) to get the Centre's assent, considering it is your party, as early as possible," he had said.Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar too had welcomed government's move, and said the judiciary must deliberate and discuss such cases at length before arriving at any decisions on such sensitive matters."The allegations of harming animals were just excuse for traditional sports to be barred. Just because there was a complaint, does not entitle the judiciary to completley ban such sports," Shettar said."As far as cruelty of animals in Kambala goes, the bullocks are treated by their owners as much more of a child than their own children. They are fed like kings and, barring some 26 days of the race, they are kept very comfortably," Congress legislator Shakuntala Shetty had said.The BJP legislator from Karkala, V Sunill Kumar, said people should not equate Kambala with Jallikattu."While we have hundreds of cases of deaths in Jallikattu, there has been not a single incident of death recorded in Kambala be it the racer or the animal," he said.The bill defines the sport of bull races and bullock cart races as "any form of bulls race including race of bullock cart as a traditional sports involving bulls whether tied to cart with the help of wooden yoke or not (in whatever name called) normally held as a part of the tradition and culture in the state on such days and places, as my be notified by the state government."