The Jallikattu event in Madurai’s Alanganallur, where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was expected to be present, was called off early morning today as the protesters demanding a permanent solution refused to budge.
The event was to take place after an ordinance was cleared by Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao that paved way for the Jallikattu to be held across the state.
Panneerselvam had announced that the bull taming sport will be held at Alaganallur in Madurai and other parts and he will be personally present at Alaganallur.
However, protest continued as people seek a permanent solution of the issue.
The roads leading to Alanganallur village, famous for conducting the rural sport, were blocked by angry protesters thus stopping the vehicles carrying bulls for government’s Jallikattu events.
Chief Minister Panneerselvam, who went back to Chennai, however said that Jallikattu will be held at Alanganallur on a date decided by local people.
He added that the sport was held all across the state.
The Chief Minister, assuaging protesters, said the ordinance route is permanent, robust and sustainable adding that it will be made into a law in coming Assembly session.
He said that through the ordinance, the ban on Jallikaattu has been removed completely.
Animals rights group PETA, protesting the jallikattu citing animal cruelty, has said it will study the ordinance and then decide on further action.
PETA said, "We await a draft of the new ordinance and shall study it. Of course the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India is still pending and the matter remains sub-judice."
Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s quote on the importance of good treatment of animals, it said, PETA India believes that one day all "bloodsports" worldwide will be relegated to the history books, even if that day is not today."
Tamil Nadu government, anticipating challenge to its ordinance, has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court.
Tamil Nadu government's standing counsel Yogesh Kanna confirmed the development and said the state has urged the apex court that it should be heard if anyone challenges the newly promulgated ordinance.
"We have filed the caveat in the Supreme Court yesterday asking for the state government to be heard in case anyone challenges the ordinance allowing Jallikattu," he said.
The Supreme Court had on Friday agreed not to pass a judgement for a week on the Jallikattu issue after taking into account the Centre's submission that they were in talks with Tamil Nadu to find a way out in the matter.
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had then mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumati that people of Tamil Nadu were "passionate" about Jallikattu and the Centre and the state were trying to resolve the issue.
"The Centre and the state are in talks to find a way out in the matter and our request is that the court should not deliver the judgement for at least a week," Rohatgi told the bench.
On hearing the AG's brief submission, the bench said "Okay".
The apex court had reserved its verdict on December 7, 2015 on a batch of petitions challenging the Centre's notification allowing the sport.
Following this, the Centre had issued a notification on January 7, 2016 lifting the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions, which was challenged in the apex court by Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.
The Supreme Court had on January 21 last year refused to re-examine its 2014 judgement banning the use of bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country.
It had also stayed the January 8 notification of the Centre and questioned it over the notification allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, saying that its 2014 verdict banning the use of the animals cannot be "negated".
The court in its 2014 judgement had said that bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country, and banned their use across the country.
The apex court had also earlier declared Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 as constitutionally void, being violative of Article 254(1) of the Constitution.
