DMK leaders, including working president MK Stalin and Parliament member Kanimozhi, began their one-day hunger strike against the ban on Jallikattu in Chennai on Saturday. Around 20 lakh people were out on the streets on Friday to protest against the ban on Jallikattu. As the protest entered its fourth day, several actors, including superstar Rajinikanth, from the Tamil film industry joining the agitation.
Also read: Pongal Jallikattu Ban: All you need to know about the Pongal 'sport' and why it was banned
Protesters refused to call off the agitation even after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam promised that Jallikattu will take place within a day or two. A high-level government meeting was held on Friday to assess the situation in Chennai.
"Jallikattu will happen for sure. I'm happy to say that Jallikattu bulls will jump out of the vaadivasal (the entry point to the sporting arena), as hoped for by students and youth," Panneerselvam was quoted by the Hindu as saying after he returned from New Delhi.
The Narendra Modi-led government approved an ordinance on Friday to revoke the ban on Jallikattu. The ordinance, which consists of recommendations from the Home Ministry, Law Ministry and the Environment and Forests Ministry, is now awaiting the approval of President Pranab Mukherjee.
Panneerselvam said that the Tamil Nadu government would remove all obstacles in the way of Jallikattu "through legal channels." According to the Indian Express, the CM is expected to inaugurate a Jallikattu event on Sunday at Alanganallur village situated near Madurai.
Meanwhile, two trains have been cancelled, five have been short terminated and one diverted due to protests in support of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.
Nadigar Sangam, the most powerful organisation of actors in south India, held a protest fast that was attended by veteran actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan. However, it did not attract the large crowds that usually gather for such events to get a glimpse of their favourite celebrities.
The 'rail roko' protest organised by the DMK in Chennai and other locations also caused inconvenience to the public. Party workers were lathicharged after they destroyed police barricades in Mambalam, Chennai. Jallikattu supporters also stopped a train in Madurai on Saturday morning.
A senior officer told the Indian Express that the police were gathering intelligence inputs on the "character of gatherings," adding that they would have to make sure that protests stop on Saturday night or Sunday, when Jallikattu takes place.
