Bull owner says prize denied ‘for being T T V Dhinakaran man’

MADURAI: The A Pudukottai-based

bull owner

knocked on the doors of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Wednesday aggrieved at being denied the top prize of a car at the Alanganallur jallikattu despite being adjudged the best. This, his counsel alleged, was because of political vendetta as he happened to be a staunch supporter of the T T V Dhinakaran faction in the ruling AIADMK.

Counsel for the petitioner, K Malayandi of Ponnamaravathi in Pudukottai district, said that jallikattu was conducted in Alanganallur in Madurai on the eve of pongal festival according to the procedures laid down by the high court bench. Sponsors had announced various prizes for the best bull tamer as well as the best bull. His client’s bull proved to be the best as none of the tamers could catch it. Subsequently, the organizers announced and certified his bull to be the best and that its owner would be rewarded with a car. However, the decision was overturned and the car was provided to another bull while he had to contend with a two-wheeler only. This, the counsel said, was because the petitioner happened to be a staunch supporter of R K Nagar MLA T T V Dhinakaran, who is now at loggerheads with the official group in the ruling AIADMK.

The petitioner had approached the committee and demanded that he be given the promised car. As it was not done, he submitted a representation to the Madurai collector on January 22.