Tamil Nadu CM urges youth to give up protest on Jallikattu, to meet PM Modi on Thursday

Chennai: In the wake of escalating protest over Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Paneerselvam will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi residence on Thursday. 

Paneerselvam will lead a delegation of AIADMK MPs and will reach the national capital tomorrow morning where he will urge the Prime Minister to intervene and facilitate holding of the traditional sport in the state. 

"The state Chief Minister also urged the youth to call off their protest over the Jallikattu ban," a AIADMK leader told ANI today.

Thousands of Tamil Nadu residents todya held a massive pro-Jallikattu protest at Chennai's Marina Beach as a fresh wave of stir against the ban on the bull-taming sports Jallikattu gathered momentum across the AIADMK-ruled southern state.

Tamil Nadu: People in Chennai continue their protests in favour of bull-taming sport #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/ef3mn1wyHG

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 18, 2017

Expressing solidarity with the protesters, hundreds of others today joined in on social media platforms in signs of growing anger over the 2014 ban by the apex court which upheld concerns by animal rights activists that the sport amounted to cruelty to the bull.

The protests began on Tuesday and the numbers have swelled over the past few days.

Man buries himself in sand in support of #jallikattu on Marina beach in Chennai pic.twitter.com/JVB3qmsXkX — ANI (@ANI_news) January 18, 2017

What initially started as an isolated protest by a group of youngsters has now grown into a massive show of strength in favour of the lifting of the ban imposed by the Supreme Court.

As per media reports, tens of thousands of people have descended on the Marina Beach demanding that an ordinance be passed by the Centre to circumvent the ban. 

Linking Jallikattu to 'Tamil pride', the protestors asserted that no law should prevent them from performing a ritual that has been part of their culture for thousands of years.

They have also demanded an assurance from Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, who will be meeting PM Modi tomorrow seeking an ordinance allowing the traditional bull-taming sport to be held in the state.