Home Ministry gives nod to TN govt's ordinance on Jallikattu

BJP General Secretary Muralidhar Rao said the order passed by the Supreme Court banning Jallikattu was "unfortunate to say the least".

Home Ministry also gives nod to Tamil Nadu Govt's ordinance on #jallikattu

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said the protests over jallikattu were a "lesson" for the Hindutva forces. Referring to the ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport as a case in point, he said the Uniform Civil Code also could not be "imposed" in a diverse country like India.

"#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces, Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all (sic)," Owaisi tweeted.

#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces,Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 20, 2017

 

Former attorney general Soli Sorabjee said the ongoing protests against the ban on Jallikattu should be given up as this seems more of an emotional blackmail while advocating that the Supreme Court is the right forum for settlement of any dispute. "The matter referred is before the Supreme Court and it may review its order. Those people who are on protest, who are opposed to the ban on jallikattu should approach the Supreme Court with proper materials and documents that there is no cruelty to animals," he said.

- ANI

Ordinance on jallikattu cleared by Law, Environment and Culture ministries.

Law,Environment and Culture ministries clear Tamil Nadu's Govt's ordinance on #jallikattu

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Law Ministry forwards the ordinance to President Pranab Mukherjee after consulting Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.

Writer Lakshmi Saravanakumar, who won the Yuva Puraskar award last year for his novel on tiger hunting, 'Kaanakan,' returned it at the Sahitya Akademi office in Chennai in protest.
"Yes. I have returned the award. I told Sahitya Akademi that my protest was not against them but the Centre," he said.
Yesterday, in a Facebook page, the author had said Tamil society had been 'betrayed' for long by Centre on many issues and that the ongoing pro-jallikattu protest was a reflection of the "oppression" faced by it for many years.

 

Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati has also supported the protests for bull taming sport of Jalikattu in Tamil Nadu. "Jallikattu is a part of Tamil Nadu's culture. The protest that is going on there in support of Jallikattu at the Chennai's Marina beach is very touching. It is in the right direction," Rana said at a press conference in the second day of Jaipur Literature Festival.

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu has also come out strongly in support of jallikattu. 

"Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu -- bold and fearless," said the actor, son of veteran film personality Krishna.

"Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Especially admire the way, the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard. I support the spirit of Tamil Nadu," Mahesh Babu, who grew up and studied in Chennai, said in a series of tweets.

We all have to come together. All we are asking is for Supreme Court to show sensitivity in this issue:Ganesh Venkatraman, Actor #jallikattu pic.twitter.com/H1e8hwJqi5

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Telugu film star and Jana Sena party chief K Pawan Kalyan came out in strong support of Jallikattu and cock fights saying a ban on these two was an "attack on Dravidian culture and integrity" and need to draw a for "moralistic madness".

"I have deep respect and reverence for our culture, animals and mother nature. Looking at the cows and roosters in my farm made me think about the ban on Jallikattu and kodipandem (cock fights) in Dakshin Bharath," he said in a series of tweets on Friday. "Somewhere, we have to draw a line for this 'moralistic madness' in our society. Otherwise it would be very difficult to keep our nation's integrity intact. Jana Sena urges the Central government to lift the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem," the actor said.

 

Animal Rights activist Gauri Maulekhi on Friday dubbed the ongoing protests over the bull taming sport Jallikattu as "unjustified" and said that one should not make it an ego issue.

Maulekhi said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has apparently assured the protestors that steps have to be taken and the protest has to be withdrawn. "That again is completely misleading; the protestors should be educated that it is not the whole Pongal festival that has been banned but only a very small part of it which involves animal. That has been stopped and the rest of the harvest festivities can take place as it is. What is the point of sticking to some illegality and making it an ego issue? It is totally unjustified," she told ANI. 

 

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a PIL seeking enactment of a special law with conditions by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government for holding Jallikattu, saying it cannot issue such a direction.

"The court cannot issue such a direction," the bench, comprising Chief Justice SK Kaul and Justice M Sundar said while hearing a petition by KK Ramesh, Managing Trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

On a plea by advocate R Krishnamurthy for action against "illegal" gathering of a large number of people on the Marina beach here in support of Jallikattu, the bench said it is an administrative matter. "It is a matter of administration..., approach the government," it said.

PTI

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Narendra Modi government respects the culture of Tamil Nadu and is mindful of the sentiments expressed by the people in the state through a peaceful protest.

"Efforts are on to bring out a legal solution at the earliest ... I along with Environment Minister Anil Dave and Attorney General (Mukul Rohatgi) have discussed the issue. We have also talked to BJP President Amit Shah," he told reporters refusing to elaborate whether the state government would come up with an ordinance on the issue. 

Prasad also hit out at the previous UPA government for challenging the law on Jallikattu of the Tamil Nadu government after the matter was flagged by the animal welfare board and termed it as a "legacy issue" for the present government.

PTI

We've been spearheading various protests on #jallikattu.Appreciate efforts by youths.Statement of TN CM has come as a relief: MK Stalin, DMK pic.twitter.com/ayqBVZhlDM

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

On being asked if he will inaugurate a Jallikattu event, Panneerselvam said, "Your wish will be fulfilled."

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam told mediapersons, "By evening we expect the ordinance draft will be sent for consent of the President. We also expect day after tomorrow the notification of ordinance will appear. It will happen."

Addressing a press conference, Minister of State Anil Dave, "We will bring everything in front of you in shortest time. By today evening or tomorrow we will reach a conclusion."

"The HM received proposal from the Tamil Nadu government. It's under consideration. We will ensure that in the shortest time we solve it ," Anil Dave said.

Dave added, "In 2011, the bull was added in the list of performing animals. If they didn't do that we wouldn't have been sitting here."

"Congress and DMK are the root cause for ban. DMK betrayed the people of Tamil Nadu after 2014. Even BJP failed to take care of matter," AIADMK's M Thambidurai.

AIADMK MPs will meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday at 2 pm to discuss the Jallikattu issue.

DMK workers will go on one-day fast on Saturday. MK Stalin will lead the protest in Valluvar Kottam.

AIADMK MPs' delegation led by M Thambidurai met Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "We had come to urge the Home Minister to take steps for promulgation of the ordinance in support of Jallikattu," Thambidurai said after the meeting.

He added, "The Home Minister said we'll process the matter quickly and see that within 1-2 days everything can be cleared & Tamil Nadu can pass ordinance." 

 

Former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee has called the Jallikattu ordinance constitutionally wrong,

Sorabjee told ANI, "Such protests should be given up, heavens are not going to fall. Supreme Court is a proper forum to approach."

Using the bull taming sport of Jallikattu as a weapon to launch a verbal attack against the Centre, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen or (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said India is a land of many cultures and not just one, and therefore, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) cannot be applied coercively. 

#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces,Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 20, 2017

"The street shows across Tamil Nadu now are also inimical to democracy for another reason; that this is done in defence of tradition and culture. The business of Jallikattu, which is known to have its sponsors from among the Thevar community (to which the Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and the ruling AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala belong to), is not too different from the vulgar games that were played in the amphitheater in ancient Rome."

Read: Art of orchestrating ‘protests’

Chennai: Members of South Indian Artists association, Nadigar Sangam come out in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/kjYqGAu3df

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

DMK Working President MK Stalin has been released from preventive custody.

Stalin requested the state government for an all party meeting on the  issue for demanding enactment of emergency law for Jallikattu, says DMK's Kanimozhi.

ANI reports that the Supreme Court has agreed not to pass any interim or any order for a week on the Jallikattu issue.

"Tamil Nadu is on edge over the Supreme Court’s refusal to lift a ban on the traditional bull-taming ritual, but other, similar rituals that inflict pain upon animals continue to thrive in other parts of India, as well as the world."

Read: The Jallikattu effect

 

DMK workers have broken barricades to halt a train at Chennai's Egmore railway station.

DMK leader and MP Kanimozhi takes part in 'Rail Roko' protest at Chennai Egmore railway station in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/MSwkYrb7MG

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

AG ​Mukul Rohatgi said to the Supreme Court that the Jallikattu judgement should be deferred till next week as the Union and state governments are trying to solve the issue. Rohatgi said this before a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Jagdish Singh Khehar.

 

Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, Thamizhisai Soundarrajan reach MoS Environment & forest Anil Dave's residence in Delhi #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/lPYuZnuKSU

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

DMK's MK Stalin has been taken into preventive custody for halting a train at Mamabalam railway station. 

 

Union Min Pon Radhakrishnan told ANI, "We will meet Environment Minister Anil Dave. Will also try and meet Home Minister, trying our best."

He added, "The government should keep an eye on PETA because they are interfering unnecessarily in our traditional things."

On Friday, Mukul Rohatgi told ANI, "The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister met the PM yesterday, we know a lot of unrest is going in Tamil Nadu. The Central government is conscious of the position. The Centre and state are talking to each other and mulling over several options.They'll try and find out a way so that cultural rights can be saved also,"

"Prevention of cruelty act was also taken into account. This this will take a day or two," he added.

Asked if the Centre had sought his opinion, Rohatgi said, "Not as yet."

Massive crowds gather at Chennai's Marine beach in in support of Jallikattu.

#WATCH: Chennai's Marina Beach continues to witness massive crowd coming out in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/Elspz4uFOK

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

On Thursday, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said that the Tamil Nadu government had the power to enact a law to treat Jallikattu as a traditional sport, but cautioned that the animals should not be harmed or cruelly treated during such events.

Rohatgi, who defended in the Supreme Court the Centre's stand allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, said that as far as sports is concerned, it is within the exclusive jurisdiction of respective state governments and the Centre has no power on it.

"The state could consider making it a law treating it as a traditional sport, but the state must keep in mind while framing such a law that there is no cruelty attached to the sport. It should not just be for sport without bothering about the plight of the animals. I mean, you have bull fights in Spain. Those are cases where bulls are killed," the top law officer said while talking to news channel Times Now.

Rohatgi said people in the state revere the bull and it cannot be said that they treat them with cruelty and the law can allow the sport subject to certain stringent conditions. "So the law can allow the sport subject to stringent conditions that there will not be anybody in a distance of 100 feet, nobody can throw stones or do any acts of cruelty and if the same are found to be done, then there can be punishment, so that the concerns of the Supreme Court rendered in the judgement, the concerns about cruelty, are also kept in view and a balanced position can be found by the state concerned. That I think is the correct legal position," he said.

Regarding the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Attorney General said it is a central law which can be amended by Parliament but if it is a sport in a local area, "let the state make the law relating to the sport minus any cruelty, with stringent punishment" for those who commit cruelty. He said there is no legal or constitutional bar for the state not to act as soon as it wants to and they can call a special session or issue an ordinance.

The right to bring a law or issue an ordinance is the same right in Parliament for the entire country and the same right in the state assembly for the state, he said. "Merely because somebody may have (done) some cruelty, does not mean that the sport must itself be abolished," he said.

PTI

DMK Working President MK Stalin joined the party's rail roko protest in Mambalam. Party workers halted a train at the Mambalam railway station.

In ANI's video below, DMK workers can be seen break the barricading in Mambalam.

#WATCH: DMK workers break barricading, enter Chennai's Mambalam railway station while protesting in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/6CLHSapn4z

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

 

Chennai: People protesting in support of #jallikattu at Marina Beach pic.twitter.com/jX2PegMNaE

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

TN CM says within 2 days ordinance will be brought & #jallikattu will be organised, we won't leave Marina Beach till it's done: Protester pic.twitter.com/pqk10aJeLf

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Union Minister of State Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu BJP President Thamizhisai Soundarrajan along with Jallikattu association office bearers will meet Minister of State for Environment and Forest Anil Dave on Friday, reports ANI.

 

A strike call has been given by traders, truckers and van and taxi operators.

The rail blockade by DMK is forcing the Southern Railway to divert several South-bound trains via alternate routes and cancellation and partial cancellation of a few other services. 

Artistes and workers owing allegiance to the Film Employees Federation of South India have decided to stage a fast in Chennai and cinema halls have cancelled shows during daytime. 

On Thursday, the 50-year-old musician announced on Twitter handle that he will be fasting on January 20 to support the spirit of Tamil Nadu. "I'm fasting tomorrow to support the spirit of Tamilnadu!" he tweeted.

Many other celebrities like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Surya, Vijay, Chiyaan Vikram and Vishal have come up in support of the ongoing protest in the state.

ANI reports that members of the South Indian Artists association, Nadigar Sangam are expected to come out in support of Jallikattu on Friday. AR Rahman will also be present. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam addressed the media on Friday morning and said, "I had detailed discussion with constitutional experts regarding amendments to be enacted on Jalikattu law by the state. We urge protesters to withdraw their protest immediately."

He said, "The Tamil Nadu government sent a draft of the amendment to Home ministry this morning. I believe the draft would be approved in one or two days, which will pave way for Jalikattu. To take up the draft of the amendment further with the Union Government, I have deputed senior officials of the state to work with Centre."

"There are full chances that Jalikattu will be organised within 1-2 days, therefore we urge protesters to withdraw immediately," he added.

Chennai: DMK protest in support of #Jallikattu in Mambalam pic.twitter.com/X9DBE2Uc9M

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

DMK working President MK Stalin on Thursday said that since the state government is not taking any serious steps on the same, the party would hold a rail roko protest on Friday.

Stalin will protest at Mambalam Railway Station while DMK leader and MP Kanimozhi will hold a protest at Chennai's Egmore railway station.

Stalin said the Attorney General of the Indian has communicated very clearly that the Tamil Nadu government can make ordinance on the traditional festival, but Chief Minister is not taking any step about it and is silent.

"As the opposition leader of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, I also requested for special assembly session, but have received no reply so far, so we will do rail rako protest," he said.