MK Stalin demands special Act to allow jallikattu

CHENNAI: Blaming the state government for not placing proper arguments in the Supreme Court to lift the jallikattu ban, Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Thursday said the Centre should enact a law in this winter session to enable the conduct of the traditional sport of Tamils during the next Pongal festival. Tamils expect jallikattu to be held in the next Pongal season and BJP leaders too are asserting that it would be held, Stalin pointed out. But, the centre had not taken constructive steps to revive the sport and an act to ensure jallikattu is not in the Centre's agenda for the winter session of Parliament.

Centre is ignoring the sentiments of Tamils and the AIADMK government is supporting it, he charged and asked the Union government to enact a law or pass amendments to the existing laws to ensure the conduct of the sport. The state government and the ministers from Tamil Nadu should exert pressure on the centre for such a move, he said. Describing jallikattu as a martial sport of Tamil youth and a symbol of Tamil culture, Stalin said the AIADMK government had failed to put forward arguments to prove that the sport is a part of Tamil culture. The state government had failed to place proper evidence to prove that jallikattu is blended with Tamil culture for several centuries.

Recalling that the DMK enacted a special law in 2009 and conducted jallikattu, Stalin said and added that the court had quashed the act in 2014 since the AIADMK government failed to defend it properly. The AIADMK did not show keen interest and enthusiasm in handling the case resulting in the dismissal of its review petitions against jallikattu ban.