Chennai : Former Union Environment Minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh is facing flak from his own party leaders in Tamil Nadu and the BJP for criticising the Central Government’s decision to facilitate the conduct of Jallikattu, a popular bull taming sport.
Jairam, who was responsible for issuing a notification listing the bull as a “non performing animal”, thereby leading to a ban on Jallikattu by the Supreme Court, had on Friday disapproved of the decision to allow the bull taming sport. Describing Jallikattu as “barbaric ” since it allegedly involved torture of bulls, he told a television channel that the Centre had amended a notification permitting the holding off Jallikattu only because Assembly election in Tamil Nadu was due in April.
“I am not speaking as a Congressman. I am talking as a former Environment Minister,” he said.
Hitting out at Jairam, Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday asked whether the former Minister was by his statement implying that the people of Tamil Nadu are barbarians. She referred to the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president EVKS Elangovan’s recent demand that the Union Minister of State Pon Radhakrishnan (from TN) should resign if the Centre failed to facilitate the conduct of Jallikattu this year. “Will Elangovan now demand the resignation of Jairam from the Congress,” she wondered.
Reacting, Elangovan said he did not endorse Jairam”s comments. “I will inform the party high command to take action against Jairam for making such insensitive remarks,” he said.
