Defying the Supreme Court ban on conducting jallikattu, a bull taming sport, organisers in some interior villages went ahead with the event on Sunday challenging the district administration and police to take action.
In a few places, instead of the bull taming sport, organisers conducted ‘eruthattam’ (bull chase).
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Tension prevailed in Vadavalam village in Pudukottai district as some villagers allegedly pelted the police with stones for preventing them from conducting jallikattu. The villagers allegedly brought bulls to the local temple under the pretext of offering worship but tried to use them to organise jallikattu.
In Lalgudi in Tiruchi too a few bulls were let loose after being brought to a temple. But locals claimed that these bulls were not tamed and hence the ban on jallikattu was not technically violated. In various villages in Omalur block in Salem district, ‘eruthattam’ was held ignoring appeals by the district administration on the grounds that the animals are not harmed.
In Krishnagiri district, two newspaper camerapersons and a videographer of a Tamil satellite television news channel were assaulted by locals when they attempted to capture visuals of eruthattam organised in Gidampatty on Sunday.
The assaulters also damaged their camera equipment. The injured journalists underwent treatment at the Krishnagiri Government Hospital.
Meanwhile, officials of the Animal Welfare Board of India said the inaction of authorities in dealing with those who openly defied the court order amounted to contempt of judiciary.
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