A slew of singers including Neha Kakkar, Tony Kakkar, Jasleen Royal, Nikhita Gandhi and Shashwat Singh have signed a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for stronger punishment for animal abuse. The petition has been signed on the behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to urge PM Modi to make The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, stricter. Swara Bhasker On Twitter Trend #ArrestSwaraBhaskar: And That My Friends Is Why Most Celebrities in India Only Raise Their Voices For Elephants!

"The penalties for cruelty under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 are too outdated to act as deterrents to those who abuse animals," said Sachin Bangera, PETA India's Director of Celebrities, Sonakshi Sinha Speaks Up on Gruesome Killing of Pregnant Elephant in Kerala, Says ‘Please Behave like Animals, Because Animals Don’t Kill for Fun’

The petition comes days after a pregnant elephant in Kerala died on being fed a pineapple filled with firecrackers. Many celebrities, including Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza and Shraddha Kapoor, had condemned the incident.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2020 04:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).