In a major move by the state government, the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly on Monday passed a bill to revoke Supreme Court’s ban on bull-taming festival Jallikattu.
Earlier, Protests at Chennai’s Marina Beach over Jallikattu reached a new high when it turned violent as hundreds resisted the police who arrived at 5 am in large numbers and physically removed protesters.
The protesters were injured in clashes with the police in and around the beach. People standing in a chain edged closer to the sea and threw stones at the police, who used batons and tear gas to control the crowd.
The protesters on Sunday threatened to block Republic Day celebrations despite the state government’s ordinance or special order bypassing a Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu.
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Here are the latest updates:
- Jallikattu, in which young men wrestle with a bull in an open field during the harvest festival of Pongal, was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014. In 2016, the Centre allowed the sport, but that decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
- The ordinance has to be cleared within six months for it to become law. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam ensured that it will be passed in the assembly session which begins on Monday.
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- Two men were gored to death by a bull at Pudukottai, where the event was inaugurated by state Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar. A third man reportedly died of thirst at another event.
- On Sunday, Jallikattu returned to parts of the state following the state government’s ordinance. Three men were killed during the celebrations.
“We requested them to leave two-three times. Some of them were willing to go, but the rest said they wanted more time,” Senior Police official said.
- The police arrived on the beach in the morning with orders to remove the protesters if they refused to leave. They reportedly showed a copy of the ordinance to the protesters, who have demanded a more permanent solution.