The annual animal sacrifice for the feast of Sri Bhadra Kali Amman in Munneswaram has been cancelled on the request of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The ritual which involves the sacrifice of hundreds of goats and fowl has sparked rows between the areas Hindu Tamils and Buddhists.
Apparently oblivious to the state's attitude towards religions other than Buddhism, the temple's Chief Priest had actually requested the President's protection for the feast to go ahead.
But the president ignored the request and instead asked for the ceremony to be halted, as the sacred Buddhist Kapilavastu relics from India are currently being exhibited.
The JHU announced on Friday it will bring in an act of parliament to prevent animal sacrifice and torture.
The radical Buddhist party, part of the ruling coalition, has been complaining about the Tamil temple’s activities every year, but ignores the plight of elephants in Buddhist temples.
Campaign groups have said that these temple elephants ‘suffer in the name of Buddhism’.
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