Madurai: “Nobody on Earth can stop jallikattu in Tamil Nadu,” said Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. He added the event in Aanganallur would be conducted as per the people’s wish on the day they want.
Clarifying that the ordinance promulgated by the state government was a permanent one and it would be made as law when the Assembly meets on Monday, the Chief Minister Panneerselvam told reporters that the jallikattu held in various district in Tamil Nadu on Sunday with the district administration and police taking all safety measures in the venue. “The bulls have run through Vadivasal (the entry point of bulls into the arena,” he said.
When asked how they would face the legal challenge from PETA, the CM said, “Nobody on Earth can stop jallikattu in Tamil Nadu,” Respecting the sentiments of Tamil people, the state government promulgated the ordinance after receiving consent from President of India, and Central ministries including Environment, Law and Animal Husbandry, the CM said before he left for the airport on Sunday.
Earlier, Panneerselvam, who visited Madurai with the hope of inaugurating the event at Alanganallur, was stuck inside Pandian Hotel as the attempts of the officials to pacify the protesters didn’t yield a positive result. Three of CM’s secretaries - Vijayakumar, Ramalingam and Shiva Das Meena - and the district collector Veera Raghava Rao were present in the hotel.
The Madurai district AIADMK MGR wing office bearers, who gathered outside the hotel, blamed the DMK and Congress for instigating the people against conducting jallikattu despite the AIADMK government promulgating an ordinance.
Meanwhile, the police prevented the journalists from meeting the CM. Only after they held a protest in front of the hotel they were allowed to meet him.
