Southern districts on the boil as SC shuts gates for jallikattu

A bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and N V Ramana said that Tuesday’s order by which the Centre’s notification was stayed doesn’t warrant any alteration. The bench said it was unimpressed with the submission that jallikattu should be allowed under the strict supervision of this court. The fresh petitions were filed by some individuals, who had sought vacation of Tuesday’s stay order. 

While there were widespread protests in various districts like Madurai and Tiruchy, the Wednesday’s SC order has escalated the situation in these pockets with agitators intensifying the action like shaving their heads, road blockades and self-immolation attempts. Amid growing protests in the southern districts, a delegation of the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP would be visiting New Delhi on Thursday to impress PM Modi and other BJP leaders to take all steps to ensure that the event was held this year. 

The delegation would be led by BJP State unit President Tamizhisai Soundararajan. Senior leader and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan would accompany the delegation along with national secretary L Ganesan. 

Sources said that some groups are also planning to hold the event defying the ban. “At the most they can arrest us if we breach the order. Let them do it. We will bear any pain to uphold the tradition,” said one of the protesters. However, T Ondiraj, secretary, Tamizhaga Veera Vilayattu Pathukappu Peravai, said, “we will abide by the SC order. 

It is not a mature act to antagonise the court. If we conduct the event, then it will amount to violation and that itself will become a hurdle for us to approach the court in future.” A confident Ondiraj said, “We pin our hopes fully on the government. It will do something and grant permission for the sport this year.” 

Meanwhile, members of Tamilar Munnetra Padai staged a protest in Chennai during which they burnt effigy of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The protesters alleged that the animal welfare groups are hand in glove with several foreign organisations based in the US, Germany and other European nations, which were trying to crush the Tamil tradition. Their attempts will be thwarted, they added.