Madras HC bins plea to rename Jallikattu arena

Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.  (File photo)

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a PIL plea which sought the renaming of new jallikattu arena in Alanganallur as ‘Mamannan Pandiya Neduncheliyan Eruthaluvuthal Thidal’.

A bench of justices D Krishnakumar and R Vijayakumar dismissed the plea after government counsel submitted that the arena has already been named after the DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi. However, it granted liberty to the petitioner to challenge the current name, if aggrieved.

The petitioner, G Thirumurugan, founder and state general secretary of the Tamilar Katchi, stated that the arena is the pride of Madurai and it would be best suited to name it after Pandian Neduncheliyan, a king from the Sangam period.