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‘Huge success’: DMK, AIADMK hail order; credit battle ensues
Political parties and sections of people in the state have contended that Jallikattu is part of Tamil Nadu’s tradition and culture and it should continue
The ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK took credit for the verdict of the Supreme Court’s constitution bench on Thursday, which affirmed Tamil Nadu’s state law allowing the bull-taming sport, Jallikattu, while it was the expelled AIADMK leader, O Panneerselvam, who brought in the ordinance.
“The legal battle waged by the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that the ordinance brought by the state will be approved, is a huge success,” said chief minister M K Stalin. He added that they are building a Jallikattu stadium in Alanganallur in Madurai district, where this victory will be celebrated mostly by next January, when Jallikattu events are conducted during the 3-day Pongal harvest festival.
Tamil Nadu law minister S Reghupathy told reporters in Delhi that the verdict is a victory for the DMK’s legal battle. “We won because of the good lawyers engaged by our government and the representation they made,” the minister said. “In Jallikattu, there is no cruelty to animals. They (participants) will only touch the bull’s hump.”
AIADMK MLAs and former ministers met party general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami at his official residence in Chennai to celebrate the verdict. Former AIADMK minister C Vijayabhaskar reacted to the apex court’s verdict saying, it’s a victory for his party which enacted the legislation.
Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam said it was his party that upheld the cultural values of Tamil Nadu, since he brought in the ordinance when he was chief minister in 2017. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he had met in Delhi at that time, in relation to the matter.
Jallikattu had been banned in Tamil Nadu from 2014 to 2016 due to a Supreme Court order. Following massive protests against the ban in 2017, Tamil Nadu enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017 to override the ban. “I consider it the greatest privilege in my lifetime that this law was brought by me during my tenure as chief minister,” said Panneerselvam in a statement.
Political parties and sections of people in the state have contended that Jallikattu is part of Tamil Nadu’s tradition and culture and it should continue. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, the state government has permitted Jallikattu while following the Covid-19 protocols, which includes all participants undergoing a test at a government laboratory, to produce a negative certificate, 48-hours prior to the event.
