The Supreme Court said on Thursday that it can't deliver its final verdict on revoking the ban on the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu before Saturday, the day when Tamil Nadu will celebrate the harvest festival of Pongal.
According to ANI, SC rejected the plea to allow Jallikattu to be held in Tamil Nadu during Pongal festivities saying that it is "unfair to ask the bench to pass order."
NDTV quoted Advocate Kovilan Poongunran, representing the Jallikattu association, as saying, "We requested the court to hear our petition tomorrow before Pongal for vacating stay on Jallikattu but court said it can't hear the petition as it is in the process of delivering judgment and it can't be done before Saturday. So it is implied that there won't be Jallikattu this Pongal."
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam had said on Wednesday that he will ensure that Jallikattu is held in the state and that he will "not back off" on the matter.
"Myself and the the Tamil Nadu government, who follow in the footsteps of Amma (Jayalalithaa), will ensure that Jallikattu is held. We will not backoff even a bit. I would like to assure the people of Tamil Nadu that we will uphold the heritage and culture of the Tamils," he said.
A Supreme Court ruling in 2014 had banned Jallikattu on grounds of animal cruelty. Since then, the verdict has been opposed by several political parties in Tamil Nadu.
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