Chennai: MDMK founder Vaiko on Friday called on Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao here and took up the matter of conducting the bull taming sport of Jallikattu, against which the Supreme Court had recently upheld its earlier ban.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Rao, Vaiko said, he had urged the Governor to convey to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that jallikattu was an integral part of the Tamil culture for thousands of years and that the Centre should bring in appropriate legal amendments for its conduct next month.
"The Prime Minister and Centre should take the right decision and bring appropriate legal amendments for holding jallikattu, which has been intertwined with the Tamil culture for thousands of years. I had explained this matter in detail to the Governor," he said.
Dismissing allegations that the bulls underwent torture ahead of jallikattu, Vaiko said they were reared with utmost affection.
The MDMK leader insisted that jallikattu has to be held this Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival in January.
The Supreme Court had recently uphled an earlier ban against conducting jallikattu, with the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu, including DMK and MDMK urging the state and Central governments to take appropriate steps to ensure that the bull taming sport was conducted in January next year.
