If Jallikattu is animal cruelty then ban halal meat: Subramanian Swamy

Chennai: Welcoming the police crackdown on the swelling pro-Jallikattu agitation at the Marina Beach in Chennai, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday asserted that the protests were pointless now as all their demands were to be conceded.

"I welcome it. This was to be done. After all their demand was to be conceded and Jallikattu is going to be legitimised by an act that is to be passed today by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and so what is the point in protesting?," Swamy said.

The BJP further stated that the original organiser of the protest who was a famous Tamil Singer had decided to quit to the agitation saying that anti-national elements had taken over the movement.

Defending Jallikattu, Swamy said that bull had never died in the sport, adding that there was no element of animal cruelty in it.

"If this is animal cruelty then halal meat should also be banned. PETA is full of foreigners who don't understand our customs. I can understand if there was cruelty to bulls. But there is no such thing. In fact this is only increases the quality of their breed," he added.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out between agitated locals and the police at Marina Beach, now a battleground for the Jallikattu issue, as protesters swarmed in droves.

A massive human chain was formed by the locals who chanted demanding complete freedom to perform Jallikattu.

The Chennai city police had earlier requested the protesters to leave Marina Beach in a peaceful manner as "that their purpose has been fully achieved" after the state government promulgated an ordinance on Saturday.

"It's wrong that ordinance will dissolve after 6 months, fact is that after introduction of ordinance, it will be introduced in assembly. It will be introduced and regularised and now itself the law is in act. Ordinance is for Jallikattu permanent solution. SC stayed Jallikattu so lawmakers got ordinance," the Police said in a statement.

They further appealed to the protesters to end their agitation as their goal of conducting the sport had been achieved.

However, the locals said that they needed time to discuss about the ordinance and demanded half day's time.

Soon enough the police swarmed into the beach in droves and began removing the agitators forcefully, which resulted in heated clashes.

Several protestors were also seen threatening the police, saying that they will commit suicide at the beach if forcefully removed from the site.

The police had to resort to force and several demonstrators were also lathi charged.

On Sunday, protesters in Alanganallur did not allow Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to inaugurate the Alanganallur jallikattu which was cancelled.

Meanwhile, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) condemned the crackdown by the police on the scores of pro-Jallikattu protestors on Marina Beach, where the agitation seems to be growing by the minute and cries for a 'permanent' solution get louder.

"It's highly condemnable for using force to disperse the crowd who were fighting democratically," DMK working president MK Stalin said.