A delay in the Supreme Court delivering the judgement on the petition challenging the ban on Jallikattu, the rural sport of Tamil Nadu, is being projected by the Opposition DMK and its allies as an effort by the “Brahminical” BJP to saffronise the southern State. “Anti-Tamil RSS-BJP get out of Tamil Nadu”, read the placards carried by thousands of demonstrators who took out procession all over Tamil Nadu on Friday demanding the revival of the sport banned by the apex court in May 2014.

The highlight of the rallies was the anti-Centre tirade echoed throughout the State though the RSS and the BJP do not have any role in banning the bull sport. MK Stalin, the DMK vice president, who inaugurated a State-wide agitation at Chennai on Friday against the ban on Jallikatu alleged that the Narendra Modi-led Union Government was anti-Tamil and anti-Tamil Nadu.

“The Prime Minister has enough time to meet film stars like Gautami, Nagarjuna,Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Sharukh Khan. But he does not have a minute to spare for the MPs from Tamil Nadu who wanted to meet him to inform him about serious issues haunting  the State,” charged Stalin. He said the Union Government could have circumvented the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu by promulgating an Ordinance. “The present Government at the Centre has issued 22 Ordinances on various issues. Why can’t they issue an Ordinance for JallikattuIJ” he asked.

He was joined in the agitation by leaders of the Congress. Though the Congress has been campaigning with the DMK against the BJP Government at the Centre demanding the lifting of the ban on Jallikattu, a perusal of recent records by The Pioneer threw out some interesting information.

The Congress which is criticising the Narendra Modi Government for the ban on Jallikattu, had in its manifesto for the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election in May 2016 had declared that it would ban the Jallikattu. “The party supports the ban on Jallikattu,” said the Congress manifesto.

“Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2016: Congress releases manifesto, promises ban on Jallikattu”, the dailies had carried banner headlined reports the day after the manifesto was released by Mukul Wasnik, AICC general secretary.

Former PM Manmohan Singh, in a letter to NG Jayasimha, managing director, Humane Society International, a NGO based in Secunderabad had said that he was  for banning the bull fight. “The Humane Society Internationale India has a worthy objective and certainly we have to work to discourage bullfights which provide a cruel form of entertainment. I wish you all success in achieving your objective,” said Manmohan Singh in his letter dated December 15, 2015.

Referring to Stalin’s allegation that the Narendra Modi Government was against Tamil Nadu, KT Raghavan, BJP spokesman, said this was a derogatory statement. “The BJP’s manifesto for the 2016 Assembly election is clear in this regard. It is in the public domain. We had assured the people that the party would strive hard for getting the ban on Jallikattu annulled ,” said Raghavan.

He said the Jallikattu season is spread over the January-May months and it is not a one-day affair. “These demonstrations are much ado about nothing. One cannot pressurise the apex court to deliver the verdict as per one’s convenience,” he said.

Aanand Venkat, RSS leader in Chennai, said the Sangh remained neutral on the Jallikattu issue. “But we are committed in  preserving the native Indian breeds of cows and bulls. There is a conspiracy to finish off the native Indian breeds to help the international companies to market their breeds and other paraphernalia. We are against it,” said Venkat.