Chennai: While promising to ensure the conduct of jallikattu, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Wednesday declined to take up the ordinance route saying that the state government could not issue an ordinance as it would be against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Citing the growing protests for jallikattu, he said it was his duty to give an explanation to the people, in a five-page statement. He said the Supreme Court is hearing a petition on a notification issued by the centre to enable the conduct of jallikattu and added that he is hopeful of a favourable decision by the court.
Citing Stalin’s allegations that Supreme Court guidelines were violated in jallikattu conducted in 2014, Panneerselvam said the accusations were meant to help the opponents of jallikattu and a betrayal of Tamil people. When the state government is arguing in the Supreme Court that bulls were not tortured, Stalin’s views are supporting the contentions of anti-jallikattu organisations. By giving such opinions, he had shown that the DMK had concern for jallikattu and it is ready to give up state’s rights for political gains.
He said the DMK-Congress alliance government which issued a notification including bulls in the list of wild animals which could not exhibited in public was the reason for the jallikattu ban. Based on the notification of the UPA government, the Supreme Court ruled that the Tamil Nadu jallikattu Regulation Act was a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said.
Referring to the protest held by the DMK in Alanganallur, Panneerselvam said leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin had alleged that the traditional game was stopped due to AIADMK’s complacence. The DMK which was the reason for jallikattu ban, could not deceive people by holding protests, the Chief Minister said.
