Chennai : Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth”s younger daughter Soundarya, who recently was in the news following her marital estrangement, has earned the ire of bull tamers in Tamil Nadu, who set fire to her photographs on Tuesday. What has angered them is that she has been appointed the brand ambassador of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which had been instrumental in moving the Supreme Court to ban the popular bull taming sport – Jallikattu. She is now on the back foot hinting that she may not openly take a stand against the sport.
The animal rights group had opposed Jallikattu, which is conducted during the festive occasion of Pongal, where youth try their luck in taming ferocious bulls that are let loose in the arena. The sport is particularly popular in south Tamil Nadu”s Madurai district.
The Supreme Court had banned the event on the grounds of cruelty to animals as well as to ensure safety of the tamers who otherwise get gored by the bulls” horns.
