On Saturday, the state police of Tamil Nadu first lathicharged protestors who have been agitating against the ban of the bull-sport in the Madurai’s Avaniapuram area. Later arresting atleast 30 supporters of Jallikattu were taken into preventive custody in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district for allegedly protesting against the ban on the controversial bull-taming sport played during Pongal festival.
According to TOI reports, Heavy police force was appointed since Fridayas various organisations vowed to violate the ban and organise the sport. In Avaniapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur, the locations where jallikattu is celebrated the most, heavy police force was assigned. On Thursday, the Supreme Court had said it could not give its verdict on Jallikattu before Pongal despite the political parties pleading for the allowance of the sport.
On Friday, in Karisalkulam village near Madurai, the sport was held in an open ground for a few minutes. Around five bulls were let into the ground by a group of youths and the Police made no arrest. Some Jallikattu supporters briefly picketed locale of the shooting of Tamil film “Garjanai”, starring Trisha, in Sivaganga district, angered by the actor’s pro-PETA stand. However, Trisha, a known animal lover who has featured in PETA’s advertisement for adopting homeless dogs, was not present there at that time.
DMK Working President M K Stalin had led a protest in Chennai in this regard as he slammed the Prime Minister for allegedly not giving time for AIADMK MPs to discuss the Jallikattu issue.
According to the police the arrest were justified as they are in charge of maintaining law and order in the state which has been disrupted after the idea of banning the sport has been tossed.
