Opposition stages walkout from the Assembly on the issue
T N ASHOK / CHENNAI
Scores of pro-Jallikattu protesters have been removed from Chennai Marina Beach by the police who were agitating for the past one week. Hundreds more are still there, refusing to move out.
In a pre-dawn action, a heavy posse of police force has been deployed in the beach, effectively preventing any fresh inflow of agitators or onlookers to the beach. They urged the protesters to disperse as the bull-taming games are being held since yesterday following a state ordinance. Most of the youth who were part of the agitations have left on their own following the ordinance.
However, a section of the protesters insist on a strong Act and resist the police attempt to evict them. Key activists who took up the cause of the game also appealed to the youth to end their demonstrations. Meanwhile delivering the customary address on the first day of the Assembly session, Governor Vidyasagar Rao said the Bill seeking to replace the ordinance would be placed before the Assembly immediately.
The opposition parties in the Tamil Nadu Assembly today staged a walk out, boycotting the customary Governor’s address over the Jallikattu issue. When Governor Vidyasagar Rao began to deliver his maiden address in the House this morning, Principal Opposition Leader and DMK working president MK Stalin led his party members out of the House after trying to raise the issue. He was followed by the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League members who also left the House following their coalition partner.
Outside the House, Mr Stalin told reporters, the police action to push out the pro-Jallikatu agitators was undemocratic. He said, instead of holding talks with the youth, they have been forced out of the grounds from where they were holding demonstrations peacefully.