Facing heat from jallikattu protesters, TN CM to visit PM Modi on Thursday

O Pannereselvam also urged protesters to withdraw their agitation.
Facing heat from jallikattu protesters, TN CM to visit PM Modi on Thursday
Facing heat from jallikattu protesters, TN CM to visit PM Modi on Thursday
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Following the largescale protests in support of jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister O Pannerselvam said he will be visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and urged protestors to withdraw their agitation.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, OPS said that he would urge Modi to pass an emergency ordinance to allow the bull-taming sport in the state.

Referring to the protests, OPS said that people of Tamil Nadu were agitating to preserve their “traditional sport”. He added that the AIADMK government also wants the sport to continue but the only way that could happen now was with the centre’s intervention.

“Only the centre has the power to do something now because the Supreme Court has banned it. If jallikattu should happen before the Supreme Court verdict comes, only the centre has the authority to rectify the law,” the statement said.

Ensuring that the state government is taking all possible steps to ensure jallikattu continues, the statement added that they had presented powerful arguments against the ban and in favour of the sport. “We are sure that ultimately, the Supreme Court will rule in our favour because of the strong arguments provided by us.”

Ahead of the Pongal festival, OPS had sent a letter to the Prime Minister on January 9, requesting that an emergency ordinance should be passed, the statement says.

AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala had also written to Modi urging for the centre to promulgate an ordinance to allow the sport.

Jallikattu was banned by the Supreme Court since 2014 provoking anger from Tamil Nadu as well as that state’s political parties.

Late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had also expressed to Modi that the ban on the sport be lifted when she met him in July 2016. The demand was a part of the 29-point memorandum she submitted to the Prime Minister.  

The DMK too has been indulging in a blame game over the ban, pointing fingers towards the centre as well as the state government. They had also taken out a protest earlier this week.

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