Cases over ‘Jallikatttu’ protests will be withdrawn, says TN CM Palaniswami

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday announced in the Assembly that cases registered by police in 2017 over protests seeking permission to hold bull-taming sport ‘Jallikattu’ would be withdrawn. All cases, except those filed over ‘undesirable incidents’ like an assault on policemen and arson, would be taken back after consultation with legal experts, he said.

In his reply to the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, the Chief Minister described the protests by people seeking nod to conduct the sport as sentiment based. Many people had staged agitations only to express their sentiments and they have been affected due to cases registered and considering this aspect, these would be withdrawn, he noted.

While ‘some’ engaged in propaganda, to ‘reject’ the AIADMK government (in the Assembly elections likely in April or May), he said the people only desired continuation of his government, he said. The Chief Minister listed achievements of his government including 7.5 percent reservation in medical admissions for government school students who cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance test and setting up of 11 government medical colleges in a single year.

After Palaniswami’s reply and passage of several Bills, the Assembly, which convened on February 2 with the Governor’s customary address to the House, was adjourned sine die by Speaker P Dhanapal. The ‘Reject AIADMK government’ is DMK’s campaign, a part of its election propaganda.

Following unprecedented, statewide protests favouring Jallikattu, an amendment Bill was adopted in the Assembly in January 2017 to hold the bull-taming sport without any hindrances. That Bill amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and it had been unanimously passed.