Chennai, May 18( BPNS)
With the five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court allowing the conduct of bull taming sport , Jallikattu, the political parties of the state are vying with each other to claim credit for the same.
The five-member constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice KM Joseph on Thursday upheld the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals( Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017.
The five-member division bench in its order stated that the traditional bull-taming sport – Jallikattu has been going on in Tamil Nadu for the last century.
Interestingly political parties in Tamil Nadu started claiming credit for the verdict as the Jallikattu is a sport that is deeply rooted in the culture of Tamil Nadu. Political parties including a national party like the BJP knows that supporting the Jallikattu will give them rich dividends in the elections and hence has tried to immediately claim credit for the verdict in favour of the bull-taming sport.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin in a tweet said that the verdict of the five-member bench of the Supreme Court was historic and that the apex court had upheld the ordinance promulgated by the state government as valid.
Stalin also said that a big Jalikkattu ground was being built in Aringanallur and added, “Let us celebrate Jallikattu in a big way during the next Pongal”.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu law minister S. Reghupathy in a statement on Thursday said that bulls are not subjected to cruelty and added that Tamil Nadu government was ensuring the safety of the bulls.
He also said that the five member bench of the Supreme Court was unanimous in the verdict and that the Tamil Nadu government had engaged the best lawyers to appear for the case and had put forth the arguments effectively.
AIADMK leader and former minister, C. Vijayabhaskar in a press interaction at Chennai said that the ban on Jallikattu was imposed by the UPA government in 2011. He said that the ordinance for resuming Jallikattu was promulgated during the AIADMK regime and Jallikattu resumed in the state after three years.
He also said that the AIADMK government had taken sustained efforts before the Supreme Court for resuming Jallikattu.
Not to be left behind, the BJP also joined the bandwagon of supporters of the Jallikattu with party’s Tamil Nadu state president, K. Annamalai welcoming the verdict of the apex court. In a statement, the BJP state president said, “ On behalf of the BJP’s state unit and the people of Tamil Nadu, we thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his persistent effort to ensure the ban on the cultural sport of TN, Jallikattu was lifted in its entirety.”
He also said that it was the UPA government at the centre headed by the Congress that had banned the Jallikattu and that the efforts of the BJP and the NDA government led to the lifting of the ban in Tamil Nadu.
AIADMK deposed leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam (OPS) in a statement recalled the efforts put by him as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to resume the sport of Jallikattu when there was huge protests in the state. OPS also expressed happiness over the Supreme Court division bench verdict allowing the conduct of Jallikattu in the state.
Meanwhile, a bull tamer and organiser of Jallikattu in Madurai area, Veerapandi (42) while speaking to BPNS said, “Jallikattu is the traditional sport of Tamil Nadu and why people are poking their noses into a sport which is manly and connected with our culture. We are an agrarian economy and the bull is the symbol of our farming culture. We are not causing harm to bulls and no cruel treatments are meted out to these animals. I on behalf of lakhs of Jallikattu sport lovers welcome the Supreme Court ruling on the sport.”
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