BJP's Annamalai slams Stalin-led Tamil Nadu govt's 'motto' of banning cultural games

Taking a dig at the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai said that it was the motive of the state government to ban Tamil Nadu cultural games.

தமிழர்களின் கலாச்சார விழாக்களை ஒவ்வொன்றாகத் தடை செய்வதே திமுகவின் நோக்கமாக இருக்கிறது. இவர்கள் ஆட்சிக்கு வரும் முன், எருது விடும் விழா தடை செய்யப்படாது என்று கூறிவிட்டு, தற்போது ஆட்சிக்கு வந்ததும் தடை விதிக்க முற்படுகின்றனர். (3/4)

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k)

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Banning Tamil Nadu cultural games is one of the mottos of the DMK government. Today, the Krishnagiri people blocked roads for creating confusion while giving permission to Eru Thazhuvuthal. The government should give permission to the villagers demanding permission for Eru Thazhuvuthal."

Eru Thazhuvuthal, also known as "Jallikattu" and "Mancuvirattu" is a well-liked bull-taming sport.

As part of Pongal celebrations, the sport is played in the state on the day of the Mattu Pongal, as a bull is let loose among a crowd, and the people who take part in the activity try to control the bull by holding its hump for as long as possible.

Notably, a protest was conducted in Krishnagiri district after the district administration disallowed the bull activity, which also intensified as the police resorted to lathi charge. After the people blocked the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway following the lathi charge, the traffic was stopped for about two hours. As stones were pelted at the government buses and police personnel, 15 of them got injured during the protest.

Police allowed sport for 2 hours

The police later allowed the sport to be conducted for two hours. The crowd was brought under control and the traffic was also regulated. However, Superintendent of Krishnagiri Police (SP) Saroj Kumar Thakur mentioned that the permission of the police was crucial to regulate the crowd and ensure that there is no casualty.

Thakur said, “People have a demand that they want Eru Thazhuvuthal in all places in Krishnagiri. Few people were injured and that too minor injuries. You all have to understand the simple point that there is no permission, Collector permission, and a go for bull release events. If we allow the bull event, there would be death. They were not following norms. So, to regulate the crowd and ensure no deaths, we are saying that the permission of the collector is a must."

The police official further stated, "We are saying get proper permission, if you don’t have it, we cannot allow the bull release events.”

He added that no one has been held as of now but 11 vehicles have been damaged and action would be taken against the people who were involved in violence.

Incidents of people getting attacked by bulls 

In another process called ‘Mann Kuthal’, bulls are trained to develop their skills by digging their horns in the wet earth and they get skilled to attack when someone catches their hump.

Officials said that on January 22, that a 14-year-old boy Gokul of Palacodde succumbed after he was brutally attacked by a bull at the Jallikattu event in Dharmapuri district.

As per the officials, at least 34 people sustained injured by bulls in Manjuvirattu events that took place in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga on January 19.

In a Jallikattu event that took place at Avaniyapuram in Madurai on January 15, at least 19 people were thrashed by raging bulls.