No stay for new TN law on Jallikattu

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the new law in Tamil Nadu which permits Jallikattu, but slammed the state government for allowing a massive protest. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and R F Nariman took strong exception to the agitation resorted to by the people on Chennai’s Marina beach for a few days in January, asking how there can be protest when the court itself was seized up with the matter.

“Please tell your state executives that law and order situation is primacy (sic) in any civilised society. Convey it to them when final arbitrator (SC) is seized up of the situation, there should be absolute silence and compliance,” the bench told senior advocates K Parasaran, C S Vaidyanathan and Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government.

“What was the necessity of doing all kinds of street march? Why you allowed such a situation to crop up,” the bench further asked the counsel, reminding them during the hearing on Cauvery dispute, the court had directed both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to maintain law and order. The counsel maintained that in a democracy, the people can always demand a legislation which is not prohibited.