Jallikattu verdict: Stalin hails SC ruling, BJP thanks Modi for lifting ban

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court (SC) green signal to the bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu,' saying it was a verdict worth "engraving in gold in the history" of the state.

With the apex court upholding the Tamil Nadu law allowing the sport, a "victory event" will be celebrated in the January 2024 Pongal season, he said in a tweet.

The BJP's state unit credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "persistent efforts" for the removal of the ban.

The DMK lauded party chief Stalin-led dispensation for the favourable judgement, saying it was possible due to the government placing "good" arguments in support of jallikattu in the court.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice K M Joseph delivered a unanimous verdict on jallikattu today.

In a tweet, Stalin said:" the verdict delivered by the Supreme Court bench that there is no ban on holding jallikattu, a sport reflecting Tamils' bravery and culture is worth engraving in gold in the history of Tamil Nadu."

It was a "huge victory" to the legal battle taken forward by the Tamil Nadu government, he noted.

"We are constructing a massive jallikattu arena in Alanganallur (in Madurai). We will celebrate a victory event during Pongal" in January 2024, he added.

Patting the Stalin-led government, the DMK's official Twitter handle said #DMKSavesTamilPride."

"Jallikattu", also known as "Eruthazhuvuthal" is a bull-taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival in January.

Meanwhile, BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai tweeted, "on behalf of @BJP4TamilNadu & the people of Tamil Nadu, we thank our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl for his persistent effort to ensure the ban on the cultural sport of TN, Jallikattu was lifted in its entirety."

He said the notification to ban the sport was introduced in 2011 during the UPA 2 regime by then Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. The NDA government in 2016 published a gazette notification allowing Jallikattu through the SC stayed the government order enabling the continuation of the ban, he recalled.

"Hon FM Smt @nsitharaman avl, after the stay of government order in SC, requested the State government of Tamil Nadu to pass an ordinance. The same was done after much persuasion & deliberation in January 2017," he said.

Annamalai further said that in December 2022, the Centre told the top court that the presidential assent to the ordinance was backed with necessary documents and every single aspect of the case was presented.

"If there was anyone who stood for Jallikattu from the beginning to now, it was our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl," Annamalai asserted.