Political parties condemn police crackdown

: Political parties on Monday condemned the police action against students and others who were protesting for jallikattu on the Marina Beach in Chennai.

In a statement, DMK working president M.K. Stalin charged, “The State government thinks that the protests can be ended by the police alone. It is condemnable that the government did not speak directly to the protesters but instead used police force to end these protests. It reflects the anti-democratic and authoritarian nature of this government.”

According to him, the urgency shown by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to inaugurate the jallikattu on Sunday had angered the protesters, and hence, they had refused to end their protest. “Moreover, the Chief Minister didn’t meet the protesters but decided to disperse the crowd using the police. He insulted the protesters who fought for the cultural rights of Tamil people,” he charged, and questioned why the police cracked down on them when they had requested just two hours’ time to decide on dispersing.

DMDK president Vijayakant said that the State government must have explained the legal aspects of the ordinance clearly to the protesters. “Senior advocates and legal experts must have explained the law to the protesters. They should have made them understand how this law is permanent,” he said.

VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan criticised the police crackdown. “The protesters have continued the protests based on the understanding that this ordinance may not be a permanent solution. They could have used cordial ways to end the protests instead of violent means,” he said.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss condemned the police for using tear gas and lathi charge to disperse the protesters. “The protesters had asked for two hours’ time. If the police had agreed to that request, all these events wouldn’t have taken place,” said Mr. Ramadoss. He also asked the students to leave the protest venues. PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss said that the party was withdrawing its announcement to conduct jallikattu on Republic Day in view of the ordinance.

Manithaneya Makkal Katchi president M.H. Jawahirullah alleged that anti-social miscreants had infiltrated the movement and hijacked it. “The party strongly condemns the police action which has not approached this issue in the right manner,” said Mr. Jawahirullah.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) also condemned the police action on the students. Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi general secretary Thameemun Ansari said that everybody must cooperate to bring the city back to normal.

In the evening, Mr. Stalin met Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to seek a judicial probe by a sitting Madras High Court judge into the police action against jallikattu protesters.