Jallikattu ban: DMK's MK Stalin announces demonstration on Jan 3, urges Centre to allow it

Chennai: DMK will hold a protest demonstration on January 3 next year in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu to urge the state as well as the Narendra Modi-led central government to take action to lift the ban on the 'controversial' bull taming sport Jallikattu during Pongal festival next year.

Party treasurer and leader of the opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly MK Stalin today announced that the protest will be held at Alanganallur in Madurai district adding further that he will be leading the demonstration demanding the central government take action to lift the ban on the sport. 

"We staged a protest in Alanganallur in January last. However, after Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan said Jallikattu would be held definitely during Pongal, the strike was called off. But nothing has happened after that," Stalin said in a statement.

Stalin said he had consulted party general secretary K Anbazhagan before announcing the decision to hold a protest in Alanganallur on January 3. The protest will begin at 10 am.

The DMK leader has also invited all political party leaders to come forward and participate in the protest to urge Centre allow the sport to be held in the state next year.

Recently, the Supreme Court had dismissed a review petition filed by Tamil Nadu government to review its 2014 judgment banning Jallikattu.

Earlier this year, the apex court had stayed the central government's notification allowing Jallikattu to be held in Tamil Nadu, thus ruling out possibilities of the sport being conducted during Pongal this year.

Reacting strongly to the apex court's verdict on Jallikattu, hundreds of protestors had resorted to road blockade, demonstration and closing down shops in several parts of Madurai. According to another media report, several Jallikattu organisers had then even threatened to conduct the bull-taming event despite the ban imposed by Supreme Court.

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