CHENNAI: Stung by the barrage of criticisms over the ban on jallikattu, animal rights advocacy organisation, PETA, on Wednesday hit back at its brand ambassador and popular actor Suriya, alleging that his comments were aimed at ensuring the commercial success of his upcoming film.
Commenting on the ongoing protests during an event, Suriya had lashed out at PETA saying it was“paradoxical to see those aiding extinction of native breeds talk about cruelty to animals." He charged the organisation with carrying out a campaign of lies.
Hitting back sharply, PETA said the actor’s late entry into the issue and the timing betrayed his intentions in promoting the release of his upcoming film, S3.
“It's no coincidence that Suriya decided to speak only when his film S3 is about to release. During illegal jallikattu events held recently, both bulls and humans have lost their lives. To use a cruel spectacle that routinely causes injuries and death, and which has been condemned as illegal by the highest court in our country for movie publicity is in extremely poor taste,” said Nikunj Sharma, Government Affairs Liaison with PETA India, in a statement here.