Jallikattu controversy: Celebs join people's protest to ask Centre to lift ban

Supporters of Jallikattu have got a shot in the arm with celebrities joining the protests. Many film stars assembled at Marina Beach in Chennai on Tuesday, January 17, demanding the Centre to lift the ban on the bull-taming sport.

T Rajendar, the father of actor-director Simbu aka Silambarasan, music director and actor GV Prakash, and filmmaker Adhik Ravichandran are among the celebrities who are taking part in the protests against the ban on Jallikattu.

Many are also using the social media to create awareness and to exert pressure on the Centre to pass an ordinance to allow the game, which is played during the Pongal festival. On Twitter, people are expressing their support using the hash tag - #JallikattuProtestersArrest.

In other parts of Tamil Nadu, thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the Supreme Court's ban on Jallikattu. More than 200 people have been detained over the issue. In Madurai and a few other regions, Jallikattu was organised despite the ban. 

Jallikattu is a traditional event held in Tamil Nadu as a part of the Pongal celebrations — a practice is said to have existed for over 2,000 years. However, the Supreme Court banned the sport in 2014, taking into consideration the safety of the people and animals involved in the sport. 

Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Sivakarthikeyan, Simbu and a host of big names from Kollywood have supported the game and requested the Centre to lift the ban.