Jallikattu Bill passed by state Assembly; protests turn violent in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: Even as Tamil Nadu on Monday passed a law legalising Jallikattu, the six-day-old stir over the bull taming sport turned violent today after an early morning crackdown on the protesters here.

The law replaces the Prevention of cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 that was promulgated to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on Saturday.

The Ordinance had the sanction of President Pranab Mukherjee.

Chief Minister O Panneerselavam introduced the bill in the Assembly. It was passed quickly and unanimously. The law seeks to protect Jallikattu from legal challenges.

This happened on a day when the dragging protest at the Marina, the country's longest beach, turned violent after police began their crackdown following the people's refusal to disperse.

A senior police official told PTI that 90 per cent of the protesters at Marina beach, the epicentre of the agitation, predominantly by students and youth, had vacated the area by late evening and that normalcy was being restored.

Reports said most protestors in other parts of the state like Madurai, Erode and Coimbatore were either evicted or had left on their own, heeding the appeal of police.

However, the crackdown had a ripple effect in the city and elsewhere, where normal life was affected, with protesters staging road blocks and state transport buses being withdrawn at many places.

Earlier in the day, protesters fought pitched battles with police at several areas, especially around Marina Beach from where thousands were evicted.

They blocked roads at various parts of the city with the week-long agitation taking a violent turn.

Traffic was thrown out of gear as the agitators took to the streets, with some attacking policemen and their vehicles.

Police fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge at some places as sections of protesters, removed from Marina in the early morning crackdown, pelted stones.

They went on a rampage, setting vehicles on fire at a few places, including in front of Ice House Police Station near the beach. 

While vehicles were gutted, the front portion of the station and the name board were damaged in the fire.

Similarly, some vehicles, including cars, were set on fire by unidentified persons near Nadukuppam.

Several schools shut early in view of the sudden turn of events, while city buses were halted as a preventive measure. However, suburban electric train services were operated on most routes.

In tell tale signs of the violence several nook and corners of Triplicane, which abuts the beach, were strewn with stones, bricks and broken tree branches.

Police said protesters threw sand and water packets at them at the beach area and as a result they had to use "mild force".

Meanwhile, DMK leader MK Stalin and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the police action. The police should have dealt with women in a decent manner, Ramadoss said, as per IANS.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to latch on to the animal's hump and stay put for a brief period. The bull often attack the vaulters, leading to their death -- as it happened with two youths on Sunday.

(With Agency inputs)