Chennai was rocked by violence Monday after police moved to evict nearly 10,000 Jallikattu protesters from Marina Beach. Over a hundred people were reportedly injured and at least two police stations and several vehicles were burnt. The police action in Chennai led to unrest across the state, with police resorting to lathicharge in Coimbatore, Alanganallur near Madurai and Erode.
Several people were taken into custody — police were yet to specify the number of detentions or arrests made.
In the afternoon, the Tamil Nadu assembly, at a special session, unanimously passed an amendment Bill to conduct the bull-taming sport without any hindrance, replacing an ordinance promulgated two days ago to allow Jallikattu.
The government sent retired justice D Hariparanthaman, a popular judge due to his many orders in labour cases, to brief the nearly 10,000 gathered on the beach on the content of the ordinance. Shortly before 6 pm, the protest was called off, though around 500 students continued to be on the beach, fearing police action if they left the spot.