Bulls steal the show at Alanganallur Jallikattu, TN CM announces govt job for best tamer
Madurai (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): The spirit of the traditional bull taming sport came to the fore at the renowned Jallikattu event at Alanganallur here on Saturday with scores of ferocious bulls freezing the tamers by displaying their might.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin,
who witnessed the popular sport at close quarters, announced a government job in the Animal Husbandry department to the best tamer who embraced the maximum number of bulls at the Jallikattu event, indicating that this effort could go a long way in patronising Jallikattu.
Also, a sophisticated Jallikattu training and treatment centre will be established in Alanganallur at a cost of Rs 2 crore, he said.
“The Madurai soil is known for bravery. We become valorous by witnessing the world-famous Jallikattu. The strong bulls are the pride of Tamil Nadu,” the chief minister said.
“I hope this will make you happy,” Stalin said after giving away gold rings to the tamers for displaying their valour and to bull owners whose animals defied the tamers with their ferocity and exited the arena without being subdued.
At least 14 people were injured during the event, and among them, 4 were admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Earlier, a bull ran amok, causing panic among the crowd that had gathered to welcome the chief minister at the airport here. However, it was tied with a rope and taken away by its owners.
At the event, as the bulls shook their heads and stood firm, the tamers, mostly youth, circled around hoping to embrace the hump but couldn't advance, eventually leading to the bulls declared as winners.
A bull fell on a dauntless tamer who leapt on the bull and clashed its hump. For a few minutes the animal struggled to stand on its legs. Tamers who were around the bull shoved the animal from behind, enabling it to get up and run out of the Jallikattu arena. The man escaped without getting injured.
A bull belonging to AIADMK’s former state minister C Vijayabhaskar, another owned by actor Soori and Sri Lankan politician Senthil Thondaiman were among those that were unstoppable. They earned a gold coin each for their respective owners.
As many as 465 tamers are participating in the final event for the Pongal 2026 season at Alanganallur, where nearly 825 bulls will be unleashed from the 'Vaadi Vaasal' (entry point) into the arena.
State Commercial Taxes and Registration Minister P Moorthi inaugurated the sport in the presence of Madurai District Collector Pravin Kumar and other senior officials.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
ALSO READ: BJP, TMC hail SC directions on counting of votes for West Bengal polls
"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
