Jallikattu protest: Vijay's video message comes as a big boost to supporters of bull-taming game

Ilayathalapathy Vijay, who is known for voicing opinions on issues, has spoken out over the ongoing protest against the ban on Jallikattu. The actor has extended his support to the bull-taming sport, calling it an identity of Tamils.

In a video message released on Tuesday, January 17, Vijay said that he appreciated the youths, who have voluntarily come forward to support the movement without any political affiliation. "A government is created to preserve and safeguard people's culture and rights, not to take them away. I would be happy if the arrested people are released and PETA is sent back home," he said.

Actor Suriya, who is busy with the promotions of his upcoming movie C3 aka S3, said PETA may have won the case in the court of the law, but it has lost in the people's court. "Their claim that Jallikattu is inimical to bulls is full of lies. They talk about cruelty to bulls but they don't realise that by banning Jallikattu, they are aiding in the extinction of rare cattle breed," Suriya said in a statement.

Hailing the protesters, Suriya said that they are reflecting the prevailing mood in Tamil Nadu. He is confident of their success and hoped Jallikattu will be back. The actor added that words like heritage, identity and history, which were generally used by scholars, have now become the buzzwords among the youths for which the Singam star thanked PETA for he felt the body has helped people to unit for a common cause.

The support offered by Vijay and Suriya has given a fillip to the ongoing protests. Many other celebrities have also extended their support and they include: Chiyaan Vikram, Simbu, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

Many young celebrities like GV Prakash Kumar, Adhik Ravichandran and Karthik Subbaraj have joined the protests held on the Marina beach in Chennai.

Jallikattu is a traditional event held in Tamil Nadu as a part of the Pongal celebration — a practice which is said to have been in existence for over 2,000 years. However, the Supreme Court banned the sport in 2014, taking into consideration the safety of the people and animals involved in it.

Meanwhile, actress Trisha's mother Uma Krishnan has approached Chennai's police commissioner seeking protection for her daughter saying that the actress's life is in danger due to her association with PETA. It may be recalled that the Mankatha girl was recently targeted by the supporters of Jallikattu.