Defiant Jallikattu supporters get lathicharged in Madurai

CHENNAI: A few hours after Jallikattu supporters defied the Supreme Court ban for the third day at Alanganallur in Madurai district on Monday, police called in reinforcements, lathicharged participants, and brought the situation under control.

Protesters sat on the road for over five hours and raised slogans against the ban, the Centre, and animals rights NGO Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

According to an organiser, close to 30 Jallikattu events were organised all over the state in the past three days. A Himakiran, one of the organisers, said at least 10 bulls were released by participants at Alanganallur, one of the major venues of the sport.

“The situation is normal in the district now and we have deployed sufficient police to deal with people,” said S Vijayendra Bidari, SP, Madurai. He said there was no breakdown in the law-and order situation and if peaceful protests continue, “we have no issues, they can carry on”.

On Monday morning, Alanganallur village resembled a fortress — its four entry points were sealed and the police erected several check-posts on approach roads. Crowds began to build in the morning and soon swelled into thousands. Around 10am, a bull was released and it charged into the crowd of protesters. Police lathicharged the gathering in order to clear the area of protesters. By noon, around 2,000 police personnel were deployed in and around the village to prevent people from defying the court ban.