Around three thousand protesters, mostly youth, have gathered at the Marina Beach since last night continuing their demand for withdrawal of the ban on Jallikattu – Tamil Nadu's bull-taming sport – after negotiations with state government failed.
The government assured its commitment to hold the bull-taming sport in the state and also told the protesters that it would approach the President seeking an ordinance on the matter.
Massive police force have been deployed in Chennai as well as other parts of the state as protests continue to intensify.
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said he would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow seeking an immediate promulgation of an ordinance to allow the sport and appealed to protesters to end agitations.
"Tomorrow morning I will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to promulgate an ordinance to conduct jallikattu. Hence, I appeal to all protesters to give up their agitations," the Chief Minister said.
He assured the agitators that the Tamil Nadu government would continue to make all efforts to conduct 'jallikattu'.
In Chennai, the protesters, dressed in black, shouted slogans against state and central governments.
Thousands of youths converged on Marina Beach demanding a personal assurance from CM that the sport would be held.
Panneerselvam said the Tamil Nadu government "is on the same page" with the people of the state on the issue.
"The democratic protests by students and people to uphold our rights and guard our culture are expressive of our feelings (on jallikattu)," he said.
However, to conduct 'jallikattu', the Supreme Court should give a favourable verdict, he said.
If the sport was to be held before such a verdict was given, "only the central government has the powers to bring in an amendment to facilitate that," he said.
AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala also lashed out at Congress, her party's arch rival DMK, and the BJP over failure to conduct the sport, while lauding the students and youngsters for carrying out peaceful protests across the state.
The AIADMK government, she said, was making "determined" efforts for allowing the sport and had approached the Centre for removing the ban imposed by the Supreme Court in 2014 and upheld last year by it.
State Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who along with his cabinet colleague K Pandiarajan held talks with representatives of the protesting youth in Chennai in the wee hours, said the 50 AIADMK Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs will “exert required pressure on the Centre” for conduct of Jallikattu.
“Not just that, this government will also take steps to meet the President to seek an ordinance,” Jayakumar said.
The protest is not just limited to Chennai only, it has spread across Tamil Nadu. In Madurai city, youngsters staged a protest on Tamukkam grounds on Wednesday morning. In Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district, police arrested around 100 protesters who attempted to take out a rally against PETA.
Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre repeatedly to issue an ordinance for the conduct of Jallikattu, held during the Tamil harvest festival Pongal in mid-January.
AIADMK MPs are scheduled to meet PM Narendra Modi, President on Thursday and will submit memorandum on Jallikattu.
Senior cops say a few fringe political groups are also behind these protests and mobilising crowd via social media.
Jallikattu, which is also referred to as ‘Eruthazhuvuthal’ locally, is practiced in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations.
The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on the practice currently, citing animal welfare issues. Jallikattu has remained banned for the last three years.
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