The pro-Jallikattu protests in Tamil Nadu has met with a tragic twist as social media turned out to be abuzz with videos of police atrocities against civilians during the demonstrations.
Video clips surfaced on internet show men in uniform indulging in arson and torturing people, while some others have given video testimonials of victims speaking out against police brutalities. A fish market in Nadukuppam, Chennai has been burnt to ashes and the eye witnesses claimed that the police who chased demonstrators to the market had set it on fire.
The issue has invited sharp reactions from all quarters. The celebrities who had earlier come out in support of the pro-jallikattu protest have demanded action against the police men. Posting one video, where policemen are seen torching parked auto rickshaws, actor Kamal Haasan put out a tweet seeking explanation for the incident.
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However, Chennai police commissioner TK Rajendran denied the allegations against the men from his department, saying the videos were morphed. According to reports, the Commissioner has said that the police did not use force on the crowds gathered to protest, adding that the viral video is “a matter of investigation.”
The peaceful agitation against the jallikattu ban turned violent on Monday with more than 50 protesters and more than 90 police personnel injured and a police station set on fire, reported The Times of India.
A group of 100 youths locked 15 policemen inside the Ice House police station in central Chennai and set it on fire. The policemen escaped by breaking open a window. A mob also ransacked MKB Na gar police station in northern Chennai around 6.30pm.
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The police could have retaliated to avenge their injured men.
The Madras High Court declined to hear a matter raised in open court about the police action on pro-Jallikattu protesters at Marina Beach. "How can the court interfere in administrative matters?" asked Chief Justice S K Kaul while rejecting the petition.
The pro-jallikattu protest, which forced the Tamil Nadu government to amend the law and the Centre to approve of it to bring back the bull taming sport, had been widely appreciated for its peaceful nature.
Thousands of people gathered at Chennai’s Marina Beach and various other parts of the state and the country to stand against the banning of Jallikattu. The protest continued even after the TN assembly passed the amendment bill as the protestors demanded a permanent solution to the issue.
