As it happened: Jallikattu to be inaugurated by Tamil Nadu CM, ministers on Sunday
Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao has approved an ordinance by the state government which will allow Jallikattu to be held across the state on Sunday. Chief minister O Panneerselvam and other ministers will be inaugurating the event at their respective districts, said AIADMK.
A draft ordinance that the state government sent to the Union home ministry on Friday was cleared by the law and environment ministries. Since the ordinance’s validity lasts only for six months, a new law will be formulated in the state assembly session so the traditional bull-taming sport can be held without any hindrances, said CM Panneerselvam.
Protesters at Marina beach in Chennai greeted the announcement on the ordinance with loud cheers and claps. But declared that they won’t budge until a formal order is out and court lifted the ban.
Live updates:
9.00 pm: Judgement of Supreme Court is still pending, the matter remains sub-judice. Cruelty to animals, children, elderly, and so on, is morally repugnant, ANI quotes Peta India. They say they believe that, “one day all bloodsports worldwide will be relegated to history books,even if that day is not today.”
8.40 pm: ANI quotes environment minister Anil Dave: “Now that permission has been granted, Jallikattu should be organised in accordance with rules peacefully.”
8.30 pm: ANI reports that a special train will run from Chennai to Madurai at 11.45 pm on Saturday night to accommodate passengers who may want to attend Sunday’s Jallikattu event at Alanganallur.
8.15 pm: Large crowds continue to assemble at Marina Beach in Chennai.
7.30 pm: Madurai district magistrate KV Raghava Rao tells ANI that “proper arrangements” were being made to ensure there is no risk of injury to the bull or the people participating. “We have also formed 17 medical teams to screen the bulls, 20 medical teams on stand-by for the people,” he said.
7.20 pm: The chief minister promises that a more permanent solution will be put in place to so that the sport is conducted.
5.50 pm: The ordinance has been brought in with the support of the Centre and the Prime Minister continuously supported our cause, says Pannerselvam.
5.40 pm: On the approval of the Jallikattu ordinance, Congress’ Salman Khurshid tells ANI, “This will not resolve the problem, there has to be a long-term solution.”
5.25 pm: AIADMK general secretary Sasikala thanks PM Modi for ensuring the conduct of Jallikattu. The AIADMK government’s continuous efforts in the lines of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and the ‘dignified’ protests taken forward by young men and women had “reclaimed the bravery sport for us,” she said.
5.15 pm: Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam says that Governor Vidyasagar approves the ordinance. The bill to replace Jallikattu ordinance is set to be tabled in Tamil Nadu state assembly on January 23, when the first day of the session is scheduled to begin.
5.10 pm: AIADMK’s official handle tweets that all Tamil Nadu state ministers will inaugurate Jallikattu in their respective districts on Sunday. O Panneerselvam will inaugurate an event at 10 am in Alanganallur on Sunday.
The party handle also tweets that the chief minister appeals to “students, women and the public to take part in Jallikattu events tomorrow in large numbers.” He also thanks the public for staging agitations across the state to “protect our culture.”
4:45pm: Governor Vidyasagar Rao promulgates ordinance for conducting Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
3:00pm: Students protest against PETA in Coimbatore. Similar scenes unravel in Bengaluru as well with people raising ‘We want Jallikattu’ slogans.
2:30pm: Issue of Jallikattu was in concurrent list and therefore late Amma stressed the need to solve it but Centre omitted our request, says M Thambidurai
1:15 pm: AIADMK MPs reach Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Jallikattu ordinance.
“We requested the President for holding Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu at the earliest,” Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai told reporters. He said he hoped the bull-taming sport -- banned by the Supreme Court in May 2014 -- will be conducted within a day or two, reports IANS.
Read | Don’t ignore aspirations, interests of Tamil people, AIADMK tells Centre
1:00 pm: Six trains cancelled, 5 rescheduled due to protests in Tamil Nadu.
12:30 pm: Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who holds additional charge of Tamil Nadu, is reaching Chennai today in the backdrop of the Centre clearing the state government’s proposal to promulgate an ordinance to hold ‘Jallikattu’.
11:30 am: “Whatever ordinance or legislation that happens, will come within the purview of the Supreme Court. We have no doubt it will be struck down by the Supreme Court because it will be within their judicial purview,” says animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi.
10:30 am: Two trains cancelled, 5 short terminated and 1 diverted due to protests in Tamil Nadu in support of Jallikattu.
10:00 am - “It is because of the Central government’s action that Jallikattu has stopped. It is for the Central government to help the people of Tamil Nadu.
Whatever they have done is a delayed action which has led to a mass agitation in the state. It is for them to see it is undone,” DMK MP TKS Elangovan told ANI.
9:15 am - The DMK under working president M. K. Stalin has started its one-day hunger protest in support of the bull taming sport.
The protest, headed by Stalin, also had other party leaders like Kanimozhi.
9:00 am - “We are very proud of the rich culture of Tamil Nadu. All efforts are being made to fulfil the cultural aspirations of Tamil people,” Prime Minister Modi said on twitter.
“Central government is fully committed to the progress of Tamil Nadu and will always work to ensure the state scales new avenues of progress,” he added.
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