The Centre has reportedly asked Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) chairman Maj General (retd.) R.M. Kharb and vice chairman Chinny Krishna to resign from the statutory body for challenging  its January 8 notification lifting a four-year-old executive order prohibiting jallikattu.

The Wire reports that AWBI filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday against the government's move.

Jallikattu is a traditional Tamil bull-baiting sport which animal rights activists say involves cruelty to bulls.

Though there has been no official confirmation of the resignation call, sources in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) said both Kharb and Krishna were called by a senior ministry official today and asked to resign from their posts for going against the government's decision.

Earlier in the day, the AWBI, along with People for Ethical treatment of Animals (PETA), the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action and some individuals, filed a petition in the apex court challenging the latest notification of the ministry as it was in violation of the court's May 7, 2014, judgement banning jallikattu.