Several supporters of Jallikattu were on Saturday taken into preventive custody near Madurai for allegedly trying to defy a ban on the traditional bull-taming sport associated with Pongal festivities.
Anticipating trouble, police in large number was deployed in sensitive areas where the sport is generally held like Avaniapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur, locations famous for Jallikattu in Madurai district.
The step came following indications by various organisations that they will organise the sport on Saturday, the day of Pongal.
The Supreme Court on Thursday had said it could not give its verdict on Jallikattu before Pongal even as political parties cutting across party lines had demanded that Centre promulgate an ordinance to allow the sport.
{{/usCountry}}The Supreme Court on Thursday had said it could not give its verdict on Jallikattu before Pongal even as political parties cutting across party lines had demanded that Centre promulgate an ordinance to allow the sport.
{{/usCountry}}On Friday, the sport was held in an open ground for a few minutes in Karisalkulam village near Madurai.
In a symbolic protest, around five bulls were let into the ground by a group of youths, police had said, adding no arrests were made.
DMK working president MK Stalin had led a protest in Chennai on Friday over the ban where he targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly not giving time for AIADMK MPs to discuss the Jallikattu issue.
Also on Friday, some Jallikattu supporters briefly picketed the shooting locale of Tamil film “Garjanai”, starring Trisha, in Sivaganga district, angered by the actor’s pro-PETA stand.
However, Trisha, a known animal lover who has featured in PETA’s advertisement for adopting homeless dogs, was not present there at that time.
Police said all preventive steps have been taken to ensure maintenance of law and order and compliance of court’s ban.