MADURAI: The protests in Alanganallur turned hotter on Sunday when the State government’s hastily-arranged jallikattu event was met with a strong opposition from the local residents.
Demanding a ‘permanent solution’, aficionados blocked all four roads leading to Alanganallur. Even collector K Veera Raghava Rao’s efforts to enter the village by riding pillion on a motorbike failed.
Soon after the State government passed an ordinance to allow the bull-hugging sport, the district authorities went into an overdrive to prepare the groundwork for the sport at Alanganallur.
Chief Minister O Pannerselvam landed in Madurai, en route to Alanganallur, to inaugurate the event. As the news spread, the people, blocked the vadivaasal, demanding a permanent solution. They clamoured for removing bulls off the list of performing animals. On Saturday evening, a section of protestors proceeded from Kettu Kadai to the vaadi vasal, which was under the control of the rural police for the past one week.
Though the district administration tried to make arrangements, including erecting galleries and temporary pathway for bulls at the vadivaasal, it was foiled by the people. They stopped the trucks with wooden poles and coconut coir shells in the wee hours. Police, it was alleged, lathi charged a few protestors at a place located a few kilometres away from Alanganallur.
Collector and Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S Bidari were sent back on Saturday when they reached the protest spot to hold talks. The collector went again in midnight and urged them to call off the stir in vain.