Chennai: At a time when the frenzied expectations of jallikattu lovers got watered down owing to the Supreme Court stay, in a sudden volt face, the BJP government at the Centre shifted the onus of permitting jallikattu to the state government.
Allowing the sport of taming the bull was within the purview of the State, claimed Union minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Seetharaman.
“The Centre can hardly do anything legally to enact a law now due to
the interlocutory application. The state has powers,” she said expressing inability by the BJP-led government on the issue.
The January 7 notification, the minister asserted, showed the Centre’s objectives of allowing the conduct of this traditional sport. “We will support the state’s move on bringing an ordinance,” she added.
Speaking to reporters at the airport here and earlier after the valedictory of the third India CLMV Business Conclave being organised by the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) in collaboration with the ministry of commerce and industry, at Mamallapuram about 60 km from here, she said in view of the case pending before the Supreme court, the Central government could not promulgate an Ordinance as demanded by various political parties in Tamil Nadu, including AIADMK supremo and Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.
Later on Wednesday evening, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan the state could address the issue by invoking the Entry 28 on regulating markets and fairs. “It is very much a state subject,” Dr. Tamilisai claimed.
Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan who had taken the lead initiative and a team of BJP leaders from the state led by Tamilisai will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar to explore ways to get the interim stay on jallikattu by the Supreme Court lifted.
Talking to reporters Mr. Radhakrishnan expressed confidence that a favourable outcome would be arrived at in the next couple of days.
Taking a dig at those protesting against the jallikattu, he wondered why no voice was raised against thousands of cows being slaughtered mercilessly across the country.
Man attempts suicide for jallikattu
Namakkal: In high drama at the bus terminus at Pallipalayam, a 34-year-old man doused himself with petrol and attempted to set himself on fire, demanding lifting of the court stay on the jallikattu for Pongal in Tamil Nadu.
Just as the passengers at the bus terminal watched in shock, the labourer, V. Moorthy of Kaliyanur village near Pallipalayam, opened a can of petrol and emptied it on his body. As he threatened to set himself on fire, the police rushed to the spot and foiled the self-immolation bid. He was taken to the police station for inquiry and later, arrested.
The labourer claimed that he would give up his life for the resumption of Tamil Nadu’s famous bull-taming event.
It is not the first time that Moorthy has caught the police attention. Last year, he was arrested for smashing the glass windows of the Andhra Bank’s ATM, protesting the killing of red sander smugglers from Tamil Nadu in Andhra Pradesh.
