Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday urging the latter to consider promulgating an ordinance to resume the sport Jallikattu on Pongal this year.


The bull-fighting sport had been banned by the Supreme Court in May 2014 owing to animal welfare issues.


"Given that Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of Jallikattu during Pongal, 2017," he said in the letter.


Panneerselvam also added that even Jayalalithaa had put forth a demand to Modi that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests "should clearly denotify bulls as performing animals from a 2011 notification by the Ministry.


The other demand was to "suitably amend Section 11(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 by introducing a new clause 'f' in sub-section (3) of Section 11 specifically exempting Jallikattu in addition to other exemptions already provided in the Act," reports PTI.


The chief minister said that there has been "no action yet from government of India' on the aforesaid suggestions.