Centre will decide on jallikattu after Supreme Court order

A day after Tamil Nadu government urged the Centre to consider promulgating an ordinance to enable the conduct of the sport, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said the matter should be looked into especially when there is no violence involved in the sport and it has been a tradition of a society. 

A day after film star Kamal Hassan defended jallikattu, saying all those who hate the bull sport should give up on biryani too, Dave wondered why cognizance is not being taken when the sport is a animal friendly and non-violent. 

TN Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying “Given that Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of jallikattu during Pongal, 2017,” he said in the letter. 

“When the matter is in SC, then the decision is not there. Hearing is almost complete. Now SC is supposed to give decision. The moment they will, government will take its decision,” Dave said when asked if the government can come out with an ordinance as demanded by the state.

College students showed their support for jallikattu by staging protests at Madurai and Sivagangai, on Tuesday. Students of Madura College and Government Law College at Madurai staged rallies and protests while students of Alagappa Government Arts College at Karaikudi staged a protest inside the campus. Government law college students staged protest in front of the campus. They also demanded to ban PETA.