Since the Supreme Court has banned the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu, normally conducted on Mattu Pongal day, the festival is expected to be low-key in Madurai and neighbouring districts, where it is widely popular.
Police said youths were detained at Mudakathan, Alanganallur, Palamedu and Vilangudi in Madurai district, at Nallampatti in Dindigul district and Pottuchavadi in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu for trying to hold the sport defying the apex court ban.
The Centre's notification lifting ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu during the festival of Pongal in Tamil Nadu was on Monday challenged in the Supreme Court.
The apex court has also issued notice to Centre, Tamil Nadu and other states where 'Jallikattu' is played.
Making the announcement, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan tweeted: 'The Union government has made arrangements to allow Jallikattu in TN.'
'Nowhere in the country, except perhaps Jammu and Kashmir, do extremist groups enjoy political patronage as they do in Kerala. Terrorists are exported from Kerala to Afghanistan, Syria.'
The jallikattu issue has revived pan-Tamil political sentiments especially among youths, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
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