CHENNAI: With the Tamil Nadu assembly passing the Jallikattu in a special session, and the assembled protesters deciding to withdraw their protest, normalcy, slowly and steadily, was getting restored in the city. The crowds at Tamukkam in Madurai also began to shrink. According to the Southern Railways, all the south-bound trains will run as per schedule on normal routes with immediate effect.
Amid intense protests and police backlash, the Tamil Nadu assembly unanimously passed the Jallikattu Bill, tabled by chief minister O Panneerselvam on Monday evening.
With efforts of police quelling the protests at Marina Beach failing, the Jallikattu agitation earlier in the day took a violent route. Incidents of sporadic violence have been reported from cities like Madurai, Cuddalore, Coimbatore, with state police taking action against the protesters.
The police in an early morning crackdown at Marina started removing scores of protesters who were demonstrating at the epicentre of the beach for the past one week, demanding a permanent solution for holding Jallikattu.
Following an advisory, the crackdown comes on a day when the state Assembly is expected to discuss the matter after the customary Governor's address.
Here are the live updates:
Agitators assembled at Marina have agreed to withdraw protests. They asked for half an hour more to celebrate the "victory".
A police vehicle was set on fire by unidentified miscreants at Vadapalani, say TV reports.
Several women explain how a young boy was hauled by the police during the jallikattu clashes. They question the quality of Chennai police's duty as women who talk to TNIE have claimed that they have been beaten up and show proof for the same, reports Sushmita Ramakrishnan.
TNIE reporter Sushmitha Ramakrishnan via Facebook Live reports how citizens claim about houses being broken during the jallikattu clashes and complained about police atrocities. Several vehicles and buildings burned or broken in this area.
Meanwhile, reporting from Bharati Salai in Chennai, TNIE reporter Sushmitha Ramakrishnan tells how the clashes between protestors and the police, leading to tear gases being hurled to disperse the public. She further says, how certain policemen have been injured as well.
Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao addresses the state assembly regarding Jallikattu bill.
The State Assembly session has begun with speaker Dhanapal presiding over it, according to TV reports.
The agitators have called off their protest at the overbridge in Sellur of Madurai. The halted Coimbatore - Nagercoil passenger train allowed to move.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam holds a discussion with DGP, Home Secretary and Chief Secretary of the state regarding the current situation across the state.
Meanwhile, amid protests, Jallikattu will be held in Alanganallur on February 1, the village committee head told local media, according to TV reports. Yesterday, Jallikattu was conducted in most places, except in Alanganallur. READ MORE
With police continuing their crackdown, actor Kamal Hassan has come out in support of the youth and asked them to "not take to violence". READ MORE
According to the latest information, a retired High Court judge is expected to reach Marina to speak with the protesters, say sources.
The Coimbatore police DC (Law and order) Lakshmi has reportedly suffered injuries as people pelted stones on cops during lathi chargee.
TNIE reporter Sushmita Ramakrishnan is reporting live from Marina Beach, the main site of protest. Watch below:
Youngsters take to the street condemning police action against the peaceful protests in Chennai's Marina beach and other parts of the state. Gathered on Velachery flyover, they are also voicing out the demand for a permanent act for jallikattu. Watch video:
Few schools in Chennai have declared a holiday after the lunch break with a possibility of roads turning into choc-a-block.
City buses have been stopped at various places, and have been rerouted to respective depots. Very few city buses functioning.
Shops down shutters at places like Peters Road in Chennai.
Food packets reach the protesters at Marina via sea with fishermen help. #jallikattu. @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/gsHx4H5m0g
"The Chief Minister should immediately meet the protesters and give an assurance that they would not allow jallikattu to be banned any time in the future", said Stalin
It's highly condemnable that the government with a totalitarian attitude is using police forces to quell the protesters: Stalin
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TV visuals showed men and women in khaki physically removing the protesters, most of them clad in black, from the sands of the famous beach here, signalling the end of the week-long protests that had been backed by political parties including ruling AIADMK and DMK.
A large posse of cops was deployed at Marina.
The protesters, mostly students and youth, had not bought the government decision to issue an ordinance for holding Jallikattu, which was done on Saturday, and the bull taming sport held in some parts of the state.
They had vowed to carry on with their protest till a permanent solution was found to ensure the sport was held annually without any hindrance.
Senior police officials could not be reached. The protesters criticised the police crackdown at the beach.
The police action, however, came following an early morning 'advisory' asking the agitators to end their 'disciplined and peaceful' protest as their "purpose has been fully achieved."
The advisory, released to the media, said that tens of thousands of youth, students and general public had been protesting in Marina since January 17 urging to lift the ban on the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and that it had been "staged in a disciplined and peaceful manner without causing inconvenience to the general public and hindrance to the traffic."
"In fact, the participants have been assisting the police throughout and have cooperated well in the maintenance of Law and Order and regulation of traffic.
"The Government of Tamil Nadu has taken every initiative and has conducted Jallikattu yesterday at various places all over Tamil Nadu to fulfil the aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu," it said.
"Through an exemplary display of unity and discipline, the purpose of the protest has been fully achieved. Hence the participants are requested to leave the Marina in the same peaceful and disciplined manner and co-operate with the Chennai City Police," it said.
The crowd is visibly angry at police action. #jallikattu. @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/Yrr4l7LDK8
After the Governor's address to the Assembly today, the government is expected to move a bill to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
In Coimbatore also, students and other protesters were forcibly evicted from VOC Park Ground where they were protesting for the last six days.
Police were bodily lifting and shifting them outside the ground but they were immediately returning and occupying the earlier place.
As they were being lifted the students were chanting 'Vande Mataram' in chorous.
(With inputs from agency)