Chennai: On a day when the Supreme Court expressed inability to come out with a judgment on the jallikattu issue, Tamil Nadu erupted with fresh protests, with the ruling AIADMK party showing signs of aggression and the DMK applying more pressure on the State government. The DMK has announced a state-wide protest tomorrow as the SC refused to act with the speed that the people in Tamil Nadu were hoping for.

Predictably, a massive blame game has begun with the AIADMK accusing the DMK for the current status quo after the UPA government’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh included bulls in the list of performing animals that led to the Supreme Court’s ban on jallikattu. The DMK has hit back saying that all through its regime in Tamil Nadu, jallikattu was held and the State government had even modified the necessary rules and regulations for the conduct of the ancient sport, that has now built up into a massive Tamil identity and culture issue.

People from all walks of life are coming out on the roads to protest. Film stars, students, professionals, government servants, lawyers and politicians are joining forces in condemning the “so-called” animal welfare activists with demands that if they were so worried about animal welfare they should stop eating fish, wearing shoes made out of leather and fur caps and coats.

DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi rubbished the AIADMK charge that DMK was responsible for the current mess and launched a counter charge that the State government was unable to persuade the Central government to come out with a solution that was within its powers. At the same time, she tried her best to request the TN ruling party to forget political differences and work as one team for the cultural and traditional identity of Tamil Nadu and protect Tamil Nadu’s pride.

DMK Working President MK Stalin has announced that tomorrow the DMK will hold protests in every district.
On Thursday, reports of protests came from different parts of the State, even as incidents of preparations for jallikattu came from some areas in defiance of the apex court’s directions. In Madurai, police resorted to lathi charge against students who were going to present a memorandum to the Collector. Students in Coimbatore also raised slogans outside the Collector’s office.