Jallikattu row: Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam to call on Narendra Modi

Chennai: Amid intensifying protests across Tamil Nadu for ‘jallikattu’, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Wednesday said he would call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, seeking an immediate promulgation of an ordinance to allow the sport and appealed to protesters to end agitations. [caption id=“attachment_3150672” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] O Panneerselvam. PTI[/caption] “Tomorrow morning I will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urge him to promulgate an ordinance to conduct jallikattu. Hence, I appeal to all protesters to give up their agitations,” the Chief Minister said. He assured the agitators that the Tamil Nadu government would continue to make all efforts to conduct ‘jallikattu’. His assurance came after thousands of youths converged on Marina Beach here demanding a personal assurance from him that the sport would be held. Panneerselvam said the Tamil Nadu government “is on the same page” with the people of the state on the issue. “The democratic protests by students and people to uphold our rights and guard our culture are expressive of our feelings (on jallikattu),” he said. However, to conduct ‘jallikattu’, the Supreme Court should give a favourable verdict, he said. If the sport was to be held before such a verdict was given, “only the central government has the powers to bring in an amendment to facilitate that,” he said. Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and DMK Working President MK Stalin suggested that Panneerselvam should take with him representatives of all political parties and protesting youth when he meets Modi. “If Chief Minister O Panneerselvam meets Prime Minister Modi along with all party representatives and protesting youth, it would add more strength to our appeal to allow holding Jallikattu,” he said in a statement in Chennai.