Jallikattu: DMK boycotts Assembly, terms police action anti-democratic'

Chennai: After early morning crackdown by police on pro-Jallikattu supporters at Chennai’s Marina beach, DMK staged a walkout as soon as the Tamil Nadu Governor began his address in the state Assembly on Monday.

DMK Working President MK Stalin criticised the police action on protesters at Marina beach demanding lifting of the ban on Jallikattu and a permanent solution for holding it.

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"It is condemnable that instead of holding talks with peaceful protesters, it has been attempted to end protests using police with an authoritarian mindset," Stalin, opposition leader in the state assembly, said in a statement.

He also dubbed the action as "anti-democratic."

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Police started removing scores of protesters who were demonstrating at the Marina beach. Police baton-charged protesters and used tear-gas as protesters refused to budge.

The action comes on a day when the state Assembly is expected to discuss the matter after the customary Governor's address.

The protesters, mostly students and youth, had dubbed the ordinance, promulgated on Saturday, as a temporary measure and sought a 'permanent solution' for conduct of Jallikattu.

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Protesters at Marina Beach sang the national anthem as they tried to defy attempts to remove them from the site.